Pieces of Her Heart
by amandalynwood
Summary: Dean is in Hell. Sam and Jo come together , at first in mutual grief and then try to make a life together . What will happen when Dean return? (Sam/JO, Dean/JO, ) includes Bobby, Ruby ,Ellen, Rufus, Castiel, and my male OC Scott.
1. Chapter 1

**Pieces of her Heart**

**prologue**

**HELL**

Consciousness stole over him. He could feel it all around him, the fiery darkness. Sulfur, shrieks and wails of horror and pain. The memory played over and over like a bad horror movie on an endless loop. Complete the cycle and it would start all over again.

He tried to open his eyes to change what he was seeing but to no avail. He simply did not have the strength. Aside from that observation he couldn't make much sense of anything. And there was the other smell-the coppery scent of fresh spilled blood. He was unsure how he knew it, but there was no doubt the blood was his. Then slowly the memories would come into fuller focus.

Of course some of the confusion was probably because of the pain. It was a full portion of the memory. The agonized sound of someone begging for him to be spared. The sound of Lillith's countering laughter as she unleashed her pets, the pain acute and constant as unseen claws ripped his body to shreds.

There was no place that he didn't hurt. Breathing was sheer agony. He struggled against the pains praying for death and then realizing that this was to be his torment and eventually remembering why he was here and he would realize that a simple death was a luxury that he would never be granted.  
>Then HE would come. Allistair. His tormentor. And that pain was even more excrutiating than the Hellhounds.<p>

Periodically faces of his loved ones would appear before him. He grasped onto the remembered images to try and buffer the pain. Reprieve was momentary and he would cry out their names before the pain made him lose focus on the cause of an instant of validation for the sacrifice that he'd made.

**_Sam._** His brother for whom he'd given everything.

Then the other momentary glimpse of regret. The woman to whom he'd not given enough. To whom he'd never given the full truth.

While Alistair's crazed maniacal laugh rang in his ears as the demon carved the last piece of flesh from his bones and everything went black before the loop started over, Dean cried out her name,

**_"JO!"_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One.**

Dean had been dead for a week, and Sam had finally managed to make it to Duluth where she worked. He was embarrassed about the last time he'd been here, although Dean had said she knew it wasn't him who'd done all those things to her. And she had more than once expressed that she had forgiven him.

But Sam felt different, he'd been possessed by Meg, and it horrified him to the core the things that had been done to her while his body had been possessed by that demon. It had been just short of rape and murder. Still he thought she deserved to hear it from him face to face. She didn't need to grieve Dean alone.

And not all of what Meg had said and done were lies. He wasn't sure how much of what had been said about his dad and Jo's father was the truth. However, he did have feelings of a non-brotherly sort for her that the demon had tapped into, but he'd never act on them himself, he knew that there had been unrequited feelings going both ways between Jo and Dean.

Still he needed to be with someone who could understand the level of loss he was feeling. Bobby wanted to keep to the status quo. Jo would understand not wanting to throw away any chance of getting Dean back from hell, no matter how high the odds were stacked against them.

It was morning; the tavern wouldn't open for a couple more hours. He could see her inside and rapped on the window of the door.

She glanced up and any worry that she still feared him was erased by the smile on her face. She came over and unbolted the door, pulling it open wide.

"Hello Jo." He barely managed.

"Sam, what brings you here?"

He tried to take comfort in her welcome but there was no returning smile. He was forced to admit to himself that comforting Jo was not his purpose; he needed her to comfort him. For her to let him know that his life was not over because his brother was in hell because of him.

Tears welled up in his eyes, and still standing in the doorway Sam dropped his gaze from her face to the floor. He couldn't manage the words that so urgently needed saying

That was when she knew something was wrong, "Sam?" her heart starting to race with fear. "Where's Dean?"

All he could do was bring his eyes to hers, shaking his head negatively as tears streamed down his cheeks.

Jo could do nothing more than stare at him, he hadn't said the words, but only one thing could devastate Sam Winchester like this.

NO. NO. NO. It wasn't possible. Dean Winchester was supposed to be invincible. "NO!" she cried out. "NO!"

Sam managed to catch her as her knees buckled, finally finding his voice. "Yes Jo, and it was all my fault."

She didn't acknowledge his confession, she was busy with a litany of sound coming from herself. She wasn't loud or hysterical, but she repeated it over and over again. "Dean, Dean.. Dean….Dean"

The door to kitchen of the tavern burst open, her original screams of "No" drawing the attention of her co-worker.

"What the hell is going on out here?" The guy looked like a linebacker. He was easily as tall as Sam and probably outweighed him by a good 50 lbs. His voice was deep and commanding, "Take your hands off her."

It snapped Jo out of her litany. "It's okay Scott. He's an old friend." She swallowed hard trying not to cry in front of him.

Scott was persistent, "You sure? Didn't sound too friendly from the kitchen."

Jo glanced up at Sam, tears still glistened on his cheeks, "Yes, he just told me his brother just died and what you heard was my reaction. He and his brother mean a lot to me and my mom."

It was only then that Scott took a good look at Sam. If ever he'd seen someone grief –stricken it was this guy. He extended his hand in apology and greeting, "Sorry man, for both my over reaction and your loss."

Sam accepted the offered hand, nodding, taking a deep breath to gather himself. "It's okay, glad someone is looking out for Jo."

An attack on her feminism was just the ticket to keep Jo from falling apart completely. "I can take care of myself!"

Scott laughed, "Never a truer statement. She intimidates the hell out of me most of the time. Why don't the two of you come all the way inside. Beers for both of you on me."

* * *

><p>Scott had made a call and one of the other barmaids had generously agreed to come in and cover Jo's shift. He called them a taxi and confiscated the Impala keys until they could return for them sober.<p>

Eight hours later Sam and Jo found themselves at her apartment pretty much wasted. Reminiscing over how they'd met. Sam swallowed choking back a lump in his throat, remembering that their Dad had just passed away a couple weeks before they met the Harvelles. Jo putting a rifle in Dean's back before they realized her mother Ellen knew John Winchester.

Oh yeah, Jo remembered. Dean had oozed charm, even at gunpoint. He'd intimated from the start that he wasn't making any moves with her because he was afraid of Ellen.

They skirted the hows and whys of Dean's death until it was the only topic left. Jo was the one who brought it up. "Sam, how is Dean's death your fault?"

Sam grew restless and stood up, moving over to her window and looking out into the growing darkness, trying to find the stars that used to give him a measure of peace. Tonight they were simply a reminder of the fact that Dean was not there to share them with him. That they would never share anything again.

He couldn't bear to face Jo with the confession because the measure of his guilt was insurmountable. He kept it to the point "You've heard of crossroads demons?" he asked still looking out the window.

"Yeah, bad ass mothers from what I hear?" Jo came to stand beside him, looking not at him but his reflection in the glass.

"Yeah"

Jo found his gaze in the reflection. "You're not telling me Dean…"

"Yeah."

"Dean Winchester would never…"

"Even if I died?"

The pieces began to fall into place and she began to understand that Sam was not just grief stricken but guilt laden as well. "But demon contracts are usually for 10 years."

"They only gave him one year."

"Oh Sam. It's not your fault. It was Dean's choice."

A choice that hurt Jo deep inside. It probably never occurred to Dean what saving Sam would do the others around them. For herself for instance.

She and Dean had bickered back forth about the unlikelihood of a relationship between them, despite the decided chemistry between them that they were both vividly aware of. She thought there would be time for them someday. Now that someday would never come.

Now the visit from Dean a couple of months back made sense. The longing caress of her cheek before he left. He'd been saying goodbye. She exhaled a sad sigh, full of longing. "Oh, Dean…"

The lump in her throat rose again as her eyes watered with a fresh round of tears.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Two**

_One month later, Bobby Singer's Salvage Yard. _

For the second time in a week Sam stared into the trunk of the Impala. Cringing as he once again took in the disorganized mess that Dean had called organization.

Once again. not having the heart to disturb anything unless he absolutely needed to. The sameness kept Dean close. He closed the trunk and grabbed the beer off the roof of the Impala and downed the remainder in a long deep swallow.

She was on Sam's mind again. He kept telling himself that clinging to the memories of Duluth was delusional. That being in love with Jo was a ridiculous notion at best. He didn't want to be the replacement Winchester. But he couldn't shake the memory of that night after he'd told her about Dean, much less the week that followed.

They were still standing at the window.

_"Oh, Dean." _

_Her voice was little more than a murmur, but Sam heard it just the same. __He'd watched her hang on for hours and at last her control shattered, her face crumpled and he pulled her up against him. She collapsed against his chest and her arms went around his waist in a desperate hug._

_The pain was so bitterly vivid for them both, and he held on fast as the grief overtook her. Her shoulders began to shake with gut wrenching sobs, tears flowed and in moments his shirt was well stained by her tears. _

_He made no attempt to calm or stop her. She needed to get it all out. Although he knew there was no such thing as 'getting it all out and therefore he did nothing to stop his own latest round of tears. He simply murmured, "Let t go Jo. Let it go"_

_After a few minutes or so she recovered enough to pull back and look up into his face. Her hand came up, her fingers tracing along the trails left by his own tears. _

_Sam recognized the question in her eyes, it was the same one he asked himself a thousand times a day. How were they supposed to survive in a world without Dean?_

_The truth was before them. They were both floundering in a sea of pain. The sense of loss was staggering, unforgiving, and unrelenting. _

_And yet Jo met his gaze now with a steadying breath, saying it out loud. "How do we go on without him?"_

_He was a man, he was supposed to be strong and he'd dug deep to speak with a courage and conviction that he certainly didn't feel. __"We just take it one day at a time, Jo. And if that's too hard we just have to deal with it a moment at a time."__  
>He pulled her to him, into the circle of his arms and in moments a fresh round of Jo's tears soaked into his shirt. He held her silently this time, just waiting it out. <em>

_When she pulled back to meet his gaze, the look in her eyes was a perfect mirror to his own pain. When she rose up on her toes to brush a light kiss to his mouth he didn't fight it. It made as much sense as anything else at the moment, so he kissed her back._

_He was rocked to the core as the kiss took on a life of its own. Feelings. Hunger. Passion. Desire. It was a good two minutes before common sense reared its head and he pulled back from her. _

_With gentle hands he set her back from him, "Jo we shouldn't be doing this..this is all wrong."_

_He expected her to yield to common sense, not the argument in her voice__ as she placed a silencing finger against Sam's mouth,__ "__No Sam, this isn't wrong. What's wrong is Dean is not just dead, he's in HELL. Please Sam, do something, anything, everything. Whatever it takes Help me, Make me forget that. Take this pain away from us both for just a little while." _

_The unbound desperation in her last words was all it took for the last of his resolve to crumble completely. He had screwed up so much of his life. He had wanted to touch her, to taste her for so long. And he wanted to do this right. _

_He took her face in his hands, his fingers curling into her hair, as his thumbs brushed lightly against her soft skin. Caressing her face and neck. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, then one on her cheek, tasting the hint of saltiness left behind by her tears. _

_He continued to cover her face with feathery kisses, following the salty trail down until his mouth once again found hers. He pulled back from the kiss to give her just one more questioning look when she whispered in pure invitation. _

_"Don't stop, Sam, please don't stop."_

_In response to her plea his mouth came down to hers again , this time taking what he wanted fiercely, fully. Her lips parted, returning his savage kiss, allowing his tongue full access. _

_She took and gave equally, both of them delving deeply. Giving, taking, searching; hopelessly seeking something that seemed just out of reach, beyond their pursuit. _

_Still they continued on, hands moving, stroking, touching, caressing, seeking and searching their way out of one piece of clothing or another until they ended up both of them fully naked in her bedroom. _

_The desperate madness was in control as they moved toward the inevitable conclusion. He moved over her, he moved within her, stroking, touching, caressing, kissing and thrusting…_

"Sam! Sam!" Bobby's voice rang out from the garage, "Quit yer daydreamin', boy, that nest of vamps ain't gonna come ta us."


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter_****three**

**_Same day _**

**_In Duluth Minnesota,_** Jo Harvelle stared out the tavern window, her mind full of thoughts of someone far away. But in the memories she was reminded how close they had become.

Damned if she didn't miss the hell out of him.

She remembered the second night after Sam came to her. He'd driven her home from work in the Impala…

_Sam shoved the door shut behind them forcefully, his patience was clearly beyond him holding back his desire for her anymore. He pulled her to him, his mouth devouring hers fiercely. There was no protest on her part, instead she moaned impatiently into his assault, and she whimpered his name as he drew back from the kiss._

_She never imagined she'd be so absolutely hungry for him, starving for his caresses, ready to feast on his attentions. Her head fell back in offering, so willing, so yielding. _

_He murmured between feathering kisses along her throat, "Do you know how hard it was to keep my hands off of you at the tavern tonight?"_

_She giggled softly as sensation swept through her, "I have a rough idea." Her hands came up to comb through his hair as she met his gaze with invitation._

_"Oh God, Jo, if this is dream don't you dare wake me up."_

_"It's not a dream, Sam," She pulled back from his embrace. She reached down to entwine her fingers with his and led him by the hand into her bedroom. He followed without question and simply let her lead. _

_She closed the bedroom door behind them and then approached him; letting her hands slip inside his jacket, pushing it off his shoulders to drop on the floor. She heard his sharp intake of breath as Sam watched her undo the buttons of his shirt. Slipping her hands beneath the now open shirt she pushed it toward his shoulders, while leaning in to kiss his throat. She felt him swallow deeply beneath her lips. "Jo," he gasped, his hands grasping her shoulders, his fingers squeezing her gently._

_She heard the longing in his voice, and she brought her hand up to caress his face. "I'm all yours Sam."_

_He kissed her again, and she opened her mouth to accept the slow probing of his tongue, a tender exploration, and she surrendered herself to him in what was becoming a mutual seduction. She joined his tongue in the erotic dance as hands moved, stroked and caressed, and before long a pile of garments found purchase on her bedroom carpet._

_Before last night she'd never given what lay beneath his clothes much thought, but there was so damn much to admire. His muscles were well-toned, his shoulders broad, strong-safe and reassuring._

_Sam pulled her nude body close against his own nakedness, and she savored how right it felt to be held skin to skin in this hunter's embrace. She felt his clear arousal against her belly and she looked into his eyes, so bright with lust and passion, and she'd never felt more desired in her life._

_"You're so beautiful Jo," he murmured as his hands began to caress her again, a bit more impatiently, and the increasing urgency was mutual as she arched into his caress. _

_Sensations overwhelmed her, the waves of anticipation, promised pleasure, and she gave herself to it. "Yes Sam... more…"_

_He nudged her to the bed, taking her mouth again and he pushed her down so that she was sitting on the bed, and Sam joined her, teasing and tantalizing her body, sensations from everywhere flowing and gathering in her belly, pooling at the core of her femininity. Her nipples were so alive with heated sensation as Sam laved one then the other, encouraging the slick arousal that was gathering, and was revealed wholly to her lover as he slipped two fingers into the flowing folds._

_She was stunned by the intensity of what was happening between them. She'd had lovers before, of course, but not like this. This wasn't simple intercourse, it was so much more. It wasn't sex, it was worship, and she felt more treasured and desired than she'd ever dreamed possible._

_His thumb grazed across her clitoris as his fingers stroked into her, and she arched as the simmering slow wave coursed through her, plummeting her into a gentle orgasm, and she knew he'd felt the clutching spasms around his probing fingers. It was clear in his murmured encouragement."Yes baby, let it take you," his voice full of the promise of greater peaks and more extreme pleasures._

_"Sam," she replied, her voice lush with desire and increasing need, drawing his gaze to meet hers, "take me… fill me now."_

_He pulled back his fingers, moving over her, settling between her thighs, confident enough now at the abrupt change in their relationship to tease her. His erect cock grazed tauntingly at her entrance, until she couldn't bear it, and she whimpered her desperate plea… "Sam please."_

_At once he filled her, and she gasped with satisfaction at the pleasant fullness. He began to move within her and the fading sensations began to build yet again. She moved with him meeting each thrust as electric sensations built in swirling ribbons of want and need as she realized this was what love making was about. Each of them seeking to bring the other the most pleasure possible._

_Sensations built, their pace quickened and she clung to him with her heart and even her soul; she ached for their mutual release. Nerves twitched and tingled, and the waves of pleasure built, his mouth found hers again as they mated, and she noted the change of his breathing even she approached the peak. She felt his release, like a throbbing explosion deep in her depths and then she too shattered, murmuring his name again and again. The waves of climax faded leaving her with a sense of peace and fulfillment like nothing she'd ever known…._

"Jo?" Scott's voice sounded concerned. "'You're thinking about Sam again, aren't you?"

A becoming flush stained her cheeks, "How did you know?"

His acknowledgement of her question was to ignore it, and instead he took a seat on the bar stool next to hers. "We're friends right?"

Jo met his gaze earnestly, "of course, if you've got something to say then spit it out."

"I just think you should be careful. Don't let grief be your matchmaker if you get my meaning. I'm not judging Sam, Jo. He seems like a great guy, but if you guys are hooking up as mutual substitutes for Dean, then the long term future might not work out."

"Don't you think I've considered that? I'm not jumping headlong into anything long term at this point. But I'm not going to walk away from him either. There's a crap ton of shit out there, and he's had more than his fair share. So have I. We understand each other, and for all that's holy he makes me feel special. I haven't had a lot of special in my life. "

"Got it. Just make sure in the long run that it's your heart and not the sex talking."

Jo smacked his upper arm with the back of her hand, smiling at him. "Thanks for the lecture, and buy me a beer before we open.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

**_Supposedly abandoned farmstead just north of Clear Lake, Iowa._**

To say it had been a messy hunt would be an understatement. When the nest had been whittled down to just two vamps left, Rufus and Bobby had just stepped back and watch Sam go, never doubting the outcome one iota, but both hunters ready to jump back into the fray if necessary.

Bobby saw what John and Dean Winchester had always failed to give the young man enough credit for. Despite Sam's love of books and his longing for a life outside the one he'd been dealt, the boy was one hell of a hunter.

Sam moved with a decided purpose, a poise and rhythm of motion that was certainly unexpected with one of his height. He dodged the taller vamp while swinging the blade wildly to decapitate the shorter one. He didn't even slow down as he spun full circle to get the first one too.

It had taken just a few seconds for the heads of two vampires lay at his feet and Sam glanced over to where Bobby and Rufus were standing. He nodded, just standing there a moment to catch his breath.

"Damn boy!" Rufus exclaimed in praise, an ear to ear grin splitting his face. "Must be good to be young."

Bobby snorted, "Young ain't got nothin' to do with it. Sam's a natural at this, a damn sight better than you or I were at his age."

"Hey, no call for being insulting, Singer." Rufus protested.

Sam held back a smile, "Glad to know I have entertainment value."

'Yeah, yeah, yeah," Bobby muttered, "But I wouldn't hold yer breath on ticket sales."

The three hunters walked away from the blood covered scene together. Bobby and Rufus thoroughly soaked in the blood of dead vampires. Sam on the other hand only had a couple of splatters on his jeans and jacket and a single smear across his cheek.

They had come to the site separately, Bobby and Rufus in Rufus's pick-up truck and Sam had brought the Impala. Bobby and Rufus stowed their stuff in the bed of the truck, while Sam popped open 'Baby's' trunk and tossed in his gear except for his handgun which was tucked into his waistband at the small of his back.

Rufus tossed out an invitation, "You earned your keep and then some tonight, Winchester. C'mon with us, as soon as we all clean up we can catch a bite. My treat."

Bobby reinforced the invite, "You might want to take him up on it Sam, the penny pincher don't offer ta pay often."

"Who's a penny pincher?" Rufus whined.

"You are ya damn idjit, the only time ya offer to pay is when ya damn near get a body killed." Bobby grumbled.

"Thanks guys," Sam moved around to open the driver's door of the car, "but I'll have to pass."

"I'll be damned, a Winchester passing up a meal?" Rufus crowed. "John woulda ordered double portions."

"Sorry," Sam shrugged, "Duluth's just up the road. I'll see ya back at your place in a few days Bobby." He got into the Impala and headed down the road.

As the tail lights disappeared around the first bend in the road Rufus glanced over the bed of the pickup to Bobby. "Just up the road? What map does he use? That's a four hour drive. What the hell is in Duluth?"

Bobby looked back at him. "Not what, but who?"

''Okay, I'll bite. Who's the boy going to see?"

"If I were a betting man, which for the most part I am, I'd say he's going to see Jo Harvelle."

"Oh to be that young and spontaneous again."

"Good lord Rufus, doncha dare go getting all sentimental on me. It don't suit ya."

Rufus's response was to ask, "if you're really hungry we can just do 'take out' on the way back to my place."

"So there's the real Rufus,' 'Take out' meaning 'fast food'…. Didn't take long for the cheapskate to surface again, now did it?" Bobby taunted taking his position in the shot gun seat.

**_A few Hours later _**

Jo awoke to the insistent and steady knock at her door. She crawled from her bed, grabbing a lightweight satin robe to cover her nakedness and grabbing her gun from the nightstand.

Without turning on a single light she made her way to the door. She paused her hand on the door knob, "Who's out there?"

"Sam…" Setting the weapon on the small table next to the door she didn't hesitate a second to open the door.

There were no more words as their gazes met, their faces illuminated by nothing more than the dim lighting in the corridor behind Sam. Even if she'd been capable of resistance to him, the look of desperate urgency in Sam's eyes would have caused her to give in. They studied each other in continued silence.

Her welcoming caress, when it came, was all it took. Her fingers skimming his cheek drew a sigh of expelled breath that he'd been holding, his hands pulling at her waist drawing her body closer, melding their forms together. His mouth descended taking her delicious sweetness in an intense, searing kiss that transferred to potent sensation and caused rampant desire to course through Jo's body. The urgency she'd seen in his face overtook her as well, and she drew away from Sam only enough to reach for his belt buckle.

Sam's hand moved to cup her breast above the satin, as they both moaned lustfully into the continued kisses. His other hand slid beneath the robe, gliding over her buttock, feeling the smooth, bare skin. His arousal quickened and swelled in the confining jeans.

She pulled back from him, meeting his gaze with a naughty smile, letting the robe drop to floor in mute offering, dropping to her knees right there in the still open doorway. Her fingers brushed past the undone belt to work on the button and zipper of his jeans. Next, Jo's hand moved in a smooth taunting caress of his denim cloaked genitals, drawing Sam's verbal response, a surprised gasp, "You'd do me right here like this wouldn't you"

"I'd do you anytime, anywhere Sammy," she replied, without a second thought, for there was no lie in her remark.

He reached down once again drawing her now fully naked body back up against his. "My sweet Jo," He husked gently against her lips, "Let's take this inside." As soon as the door closed he pushed her toward the table, pushing her face down on it, doing no more than dropping his jeans below his hips and spreading her wide enough and thrusting deep.

He thrust deeper, and he felt no resistance, instead she pushed back against him in what seemed like desperate invitation, seemingly needing it like this as much as he did. It was only a couple of minutes before he spilled deep against her cervix, feeling the quaking spasms of her orgasm as her tunnel clenched tightly around his thrusting member. His need receded with the softening of his penis and he withdrew from her, tenderness sliding to the front of his consciousness as he righted his jeans, leaving the belt undone and he pulled her up from the table, her body still trembling from orgasmic aftershocks.

He lifted her in his arms and carried her back to bed, stripping off his clothes and curling his body around hers in the bed. Jo immediately followed his lead snuggling back into his embrace. In moments they both slept.


	6. Chapter 6

Sunlight peeked through the curtains of Jo's bedroom. Even to the most casual observer there would no doubt that some heavy lovemaking had occurred. The room reeked of recent intercourse, plus the visual evidence—the various articles of clothing littering the floor around the bed. Jo's robe, Sam's shirt, jeans, socks and underwear.

Naked beneath the covers the bed's occupants were snuggled together tightly. Light corn-silk strands resting against his broad shoulder. Sam drifted slowly toward awareness, his arms full of Jo's soft curves. His hand absently caressed her breast and she moaned pleasurably, lingering in the dreamy realm between sleep and full consciousness. Sam smiled in satisfaction as the word slipped lovingly from her mouth. "Sammy."

It was all it took for full arousal to course through Sam's body. He adjusted his position to brush a soft kiss against her mouth. Instead of returning his kiss Jo pushed herself upright, needing to take of her morning call of nature. Sam tried to stop her from exiting the bed, grabbing hold of her wrist.

She met his gaze, pulling her hand from his, reaching up to stroke the light stubble on his cheeks that made him look even sexier, before running her fingers lightly through his disheveled hair. "I'll be right back, Sam…need to use the bathroom. "

"Hurry back, sweetheart," Sam said as he let her go reluctantly, staring after her as the bathroom door closed behind her. He wanted her again already.

There was something about her—different from what he'd felt with other women. And he hoped it just wasn't that she was a hunter's kid too. It was still early in this portion of their relationship. But she already knew things about him that he'd never told anyone else. Not even Dean.

**_What exactly did that mean for them?_** That she was already his confidant.

Jo soon returned from the bathroom Sam drawing back the blankets, then drawing her delicious curves back into his solid embrace. Jo snuggled against him, just resting content in his arms for a short while.

Unable, or more like unwilling to contain his renewed desire Sam shifted both of their positions, leaning over her again.

The vibrations on the bedside table drew their attention immediately. Jo shifted to pick it up, seeing the caller and she hit ignore, turning back to Sam. He didn't even get a good kiss started when it began vibrating again. She knew something was up and reached for the phone.

"Scott Porter, this better be good."

Sam could only really hear Jo's side of the conversation so he was having to read between the lines.

"Yeah, Sam is here. " she glanced back at her lover smiling broadly. Her voice suddenly rose shrilly.

"What?" Jo's smile faded. "When did she leave?"

Sam sat upright concern filling his eyes. "What's wrong, babe."

Jo raised a silencing finger in the air. "Okay, Thanks for the warning, Scott."

She tossed the phone onto the bedside table, running her fingers through her long blonde hair. She scooted off the bed grabbing her robe from the floor and grabbed Sam's underwear and jeans. "Get up and get dressed quick."

"Jo?" He asked, "What was all that?"

"Get dressed." Jo repeated.

"Why?" He asked already out of bed and stepping into the jeans.

Jo was rummaging through her dresser for fresh undergarments. "Because my mother will be here in like 10 minutes."

"And?" Sam slowed down.

"She doesn't know about us yet."

_Son of a bitch! _That got Sam moving.

Ellen Harvelle would be likely to follow one of John Winchester's favorite quotes.

**_Shoot first and ask questions later._**

In less than two minutes, they both were fully dressed and Jo was preparing to pour two cups of coffee. 


	7. Chapter 7

Jo responded to the knocking at her door, glancing back over her shoulder at Sam who gave her a nod of encouragement. She turned the deadbolt and opened the door as far as the safety chain above it would allow. She peered out the opening, putting a tone of surprise into her voice. "Mom? What are you doing here?

"Joanna Beth, let me in. we can play 20 questions inside."

"Sorry mom." Jo closed the door long enough to slip the chain free and opened the door.

Ellen stepped across the threshold, slipping her jacket off as she entered, "I was up in Eau Claire helping a couple of hunters tracking a pair of demons. Thought I'd drop by for a visit before I headed back to Nebraska."

"Did they get them?" the familiar male voice caught her attention.

"Mornin' Sam", Ellen looked at him sitting at the kitchen counter that divided the kitchen from the living room. "I saw the Impala downstairs, when did you get to Duluth?"

"Early this morning. Bobby, Rufus Turner, and I ganked a nest of vamps down in Clear Lake, last night."

"Enough discussion," Ellen said. "Come over here and give me a hug, boy. "

Sam met Ellen half way, and her arms went around his waist and he returned her embrace. She squeezed him hard. "So sorry about Dean."

"Thanks Ellen," he said pulling back to meet Ellen's gaze.

"He was fine young man, Sam. You two were a great hunting team. "

Sam backed up a step, turning to try to keep Ellen from seeing his struggle with tears. He was still an emotional basket case when it came to his brother. Ellen didn't allow it, reaching out to turn his face back to her. "Sam, don't fight it, the hurt is too fresh. In time you won't melt down so easily, but it will take time, lots of it."

She glanced at Jo who herself was now struggling to fight back a sob. "Jo, you too. You do know you and Dean didn't fool anyone. You were piss-poor at hiding it. There were too many looks back and forth when both of you thought the other one wasn't looking."

Jo glanced at Sam before looking back at her mother, her statement more for Sam than Ellen. "Mom, nothing ever happened between me and Dean."

Ellen just ignored Jo's comment, "I seriously wish the boy had grown a big enough pair to confront me about it. It was not him I would have objected to, it wasn't Dean not being good enough, it was not wanting you tied down to this kind of life."

Jo raised her voice just a bit louder. "Mom, drop It! Whatever may or may not have happened is over and done. I've moved on. "

To say this grabbed Ellen's interest was an understatement. "Who Jo? That handsome bartender where you work? His name was Scott wasn't it?"

Jo was trying to curb Ellen's abrupt enthusiasm. "No, Mom, he's just a very good friend."

Sam took this as his cue for confession. He didn't think of a better point in the conversation to admit it. "What about me Ellen?"

Confusion fell across Ellen's face. "What about you, Sam?"

"Am I good enough for your daughter?"

Ellen's mouth dropped open, and she was silent as she digested what she'd just heard and all its implications. She finally found enough voice for the single word. "What?"

He kept his admission simple and to the point. "Ellen, I'm in love with Jo."

Jo took this as a good time to reinforce Sam's comment, she went to his side slipping her hand into his, curling her fingers between his in a tight grip. Trying to present a united front, "Sam and I are—well, we're together Mom."

Sam drew Jo closer into his side and pressed his case, "I swear Ellen, I'll do my best to make her happy and keep her safe."

"Of course you will, or you'll have me to deal with."

Jo interrupted, "Mom you're gonna scare him to death .

Ellen looked from Sam to her daughter. "Joanna Beth?"

"I love him too."

Ellen didn't doubt a syllable that came from Sam's mouth, she had never met another hunter with the amount of integrity than Sam and Dean Winchester had possessed. Sam was not one that would lie about anything outside of what was necessary to the jobs at hand.

However she also noted the exact phrasing of her daughter, "_I love him too." _ not _ "I'm in love with him." _It didn't matter that Sam thought she meant exactly the same thing he'd said.

"Sam you're a fine young man, you have one of the biggest hearts around, but truthfully I cannot give you my blessing right now…."

Jo opened her mouth to protest, and Ellen put up a hand to silence her. "Let me finish."

Sam spoke up, although he didn't relinquish so much as an iota of his grip on Jo. "She's your mother, sweetheart, hear her out. "

"Thank you Sam." Ellen replied. "I said right now. This has happened way too fast. Sam, I have loved you boys almost like my own. Just like Bobby and your Dad, I've always tried to think of you Winchester boys as family. You and Dean carved out a place in my heart and just like the hole in your heart where you and Jo both held Dean is like a wound that won't ever heal completely, I have one too."

"Yes ma'am" Sam agreed.

She sized up the fidgety pair standing before her pretty quickly, "I'm going to assume that asking the two of you hold off on intimacy would be like closing the corral gate after all the horses have run off."

Both parties flushed bright red. Sam looked down at his feet, instead of looking up to meet Ellen's eye. "That assumption would be correct."

Jo hissed, "Why'd you admit that Sammy?"

He brought his gaze back to Jo. "What good would lying about it do for anyone?"

Ellen agreed with Sam. "That's right Jo, and further discussion of this topic isn't going to result in anything but information that I'd probably rather not know about. So did I smell fresh coffee?

As Sam poured a cup of coffee for Ellen all that she could think of at that moment was if Bobby had known about this and not warned her, he was going to get a fine piece of her mind.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Two weeks after Ellen's visit.**_

Sam nestled closer to Jo, spooning closer, feeling her warmth in his embrace. In response she mumbled dreamily, "Sleep, Sam. Go back to sleep."

_What would he do without her?_

She was his life line. She gave him the strength to get up and face the crap he had to deal with on a daily basis. She was rapidly becoming home to him. She filled a gap that no one had touched since Jessica died and he'd begun hunting with Dean again.

Of course, he'd been devastated when he'd had to kill Madison. Never had doing the right thing ever felt so unfailingly wrong. But here with Jo it wasn't some innocent person who was the victim, a person caught in the middle, or an evil supernatural being. Jo grew up in the life same as he had. She knew the pros, cons and potential outcomes of making it through even another day.

He'd love it if other things were better, but the cost of his brother's absence was still stark and bitter, He'd spent hours when not hunting, mostly while Jo was at work, scouring the internet, dredging through book after occult book, looking for even the slightest clue of how to get Dean back. Before he'd come to Jo in the first place he'd hit up more than one Crossroads demon. The only thing that got him was the knowledge that no one was willing to risk the wrath of Lillith. No One would deal. No one was willing to give up Dean Winchester.

Jo stirred in his arms shifting in her sleep and he too moved to accommodate her. Now laying on his back, her naked body curled around his, her head at his shoulder, Sam let sleep claim him.

Two hours later, Sam awoke alone in the bed, to the delicious smell of what had to be sausage, pancakes and fresh coffee. He inhaled deeply before rising. A woman who not only was beautiful, but a good cook too.

He put on his boxers and jeans, heading into the kitchen. He came up behind Jo slipping his arms around her waist, "Mornin' sweetheart, " He leaned down to nuzzle her throat and Jo tilted her head to the side to grant him better access.

She sighed happily, "Morning Sam."

He tugged at her robe slightly hoping for better access to her upper shoulder, but was suddenly distracted by the ringtone on his cell phone.

Jo pulled away from him, grabbing the phone off the counter and handing it to him. "It's Rufus again, third time he's called you this morning. He's already left you two voice mails."

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You were sleeping so peacefully. You didn't have nightmares last night. It was nice to see you not waking up in a panic all the time. So I let you sleep."

Sam pressed send to call the older hunter back. "Yeah Rufus what can I do for you?"

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded urgent. Sam reacted to the panic in Rufus's tone.

"Slow down dude, where are you?"

Another minutes or so of listening before Sam said anything else. "I'm in Duluth I can be there in Eau Claire in about hour and half, maybe less. And Rufus don't do anything stupid. Wait for me; we don't need you to go missing too."

Jo had taken in every syllable and knew Sam would be out the door in minutes. As he dropped the phone on the counter and headed for the bedroom to get the rest of his clothes, she called out after him. "Who is missing?"

"Bobby."

Jo knew it was pointless to ask him not to go, and not worth the time to make an argument about going with him, which she knew she would lose. He was just as stubborn in that department as Dean had been. Instead, she poured him a mug of hot coffee, and tossed some warm pancakes minus syrup and a couple of sausage links into a plastic container, placing said container and a fistful of napkins into a plastic grocery bag.

Sam came out of the bedroom in less than 5 minutes, fully dressed, the small duffle bag with his gear slung over his shoulder, a worried look in his eyes

He dropped the duffle bag to the floor long enough to drag her to him, kissing her fiercely. He pulled back from the kiss ''Love you, Jo."

"Love you too." She handed him his cell phone first, then reached down, picking up the duffel bag and handing it back to him, then after he'd slung it back over his shoulder, handing him the mug of coffee,

"Here, and your breakfast too."

"Thanks sweetheart." He took the offered food before opening the door.

"Be careful, Sammy and call me when you know something," her eyes met his, not needing to say more. He knew her well enough to know what she was thinking,

Sam promised, "I will" He kissed her again quickly and was out the door.

She closed the door behind him and in no more than couple of minutes she heard the roar of the Impala's engine screaming to life and moments after that silence. He was gone.

* * *

><p>Duluth… A few days later…<p>

"Jo! Jo?!" Scott had called out to her from behind the bar. "Are you okay?" He'd been watching as her balance failed and she nearly fell into the nearest table.

"Yeah, Just a touch of dizziness," She replied, running her fingers through her blonde hair. "and I'm a bit queasy." She grabbed a chair at the closest table. "I think I may have a touch of that flu that's goin' around."

"Why don't you just take the rest of the afternoon off? We've not been very busy this week; probably because of that flu. You're not gonna be any good for business if you're passing out or spilling drinks on the customers."

She accepted the offer, stepping up to the bar and removing the black half apron and dropping it on the counter. She turned to step away when the next wave of dizziness hit her and the guy on the nearest bar stool caught her before she could hit the floor.

"Thanks Harlan," Scott said coming around the bar and scooping Jo up into his arms. "That's it Jo, you're going home and I'm going to drive you."

He had carried her to the office, kicking the half-closed door wide open. Setting her down in the armchair in the corner and he felt her forehead with the back of his hand. Scott had then frowned—she had no indication of a fever. Still, Scott had grabbed his large leather jacket from the hook on the wall and covered her with it. "I'll be back in as soon as I get someone to come in for me."

"No" she protested, "I can get home on my own."

"Not if I have anything to say about it. You are staying put right there."

Not five minutes after he'd left Jo alone in the office, she bolted through the office door for the Ladies restroom. Scott could hear her throwing up. He called to her through the door, "Jo, are you okay in there?"

"Yeah." She called back, her voice sounding a bit weak. He waited patiently outside and a new thought took hold in his head. Her flu-like symptoms could also mean any number of other things and one of those things stuck out in particular.

He wasn't going to bring it up right now though. He'd already made a call and the evening bartender was simply going to relieve him early and given how slow things had been, he should be okay until the evening waitress showed up.

It took Scott's replacement less than half an hour to show. He tucked Jo into the passenger seat of his car. He was about two blocks from her apartment when he swung into the parking lot of a pharmacy.

"What are you doing?" Jo asked him.

"Getting you some stuff for your flu… if that's what wrong with you."

"Scott you don't have to do that."

"Don't worry about it Jo, if you insist you can repay me later."

She'd closed her eyes, and murmured, "Fine".

Once she was deposited in her apartment, she finally looked into the bag of stuff he'd bought for her. She gasped at the first item she pulled from the bag. She did some quick thinking before she glanced at Scott the look on her face priceless. He could read her thoughts as if she was shouting it.

"OH SHIT."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Eight….  
><strong>The Unexpected.<strong>

Sam and Rufus were doing a sweep of the abandoned warehouse.

Sam had been in the lead, it had been about ten minutes since he took a left into what looked like a storage area the heavy steel doors slammed shut behind him, separating them. When he tried the handle and the door wouldn't budge he had continued on.

The voice came from behind him. The voice itself not familiar, but the inflections of her tone and the phrasing of her words certainly were-the attitude, "Took you long enough, Winchester."

He turned slowly, praying it was only her. His hand was gripped tightly around the demon blade.

"Ruby?"

She was not in the same vessel, which he supposed accounted for her voice being different. She moved closer, reaching out to grab his shirt and pulled him forward, leaning close and whispering up to him, "I missed you."

He was too stunned to do anything beyond stating the obvious, "Thought you were dead."

"Well, I'm not," she said, searching his eyes for sympathy, " but I might as well have been, Lilith was creative, I have seen the worst corners of Hell. She finally decided to give me another chance. And that includes finding and killing you."

Instantly on the defensive, Sam pushed her back against the nearest wall, putting the demon blade to her throat. "Then give me one good reason not to kill you right here and now."

"Because I can help you save Bobby." He tamped down the immediate urge to trust her again.

"And what about this vessel you're riding." He scanned her face, the silk curtain of dark hair and the chocolate brown eyes, wondering what her vessel was suffering at this moment, hating the thought of another innocent life being taken.

As if she was reading his mind Ruby reached up grasping the hand holding the blade to her throat, and push it down slowly, smiling slyly, "I know your damn moral compass, Sammy," she reached up to pat his cheek. Like magic she snapped her fingers and a piece of paper appeared in her hand.

"Empty apartment so to speak."

He released her to take the page, squinting in the darkness to read it. "A comatose Jane Doe?"

"Yeah they had just taken her off life support."

"So are we good?" She smiled, clearly intent on seduction. She'd never missed any opportunity to try and lure him into sex.

"I'll let you know later."

"What does that mean?" if he didn't know better he'd think Ruby was whining.

"It means I'll let you know, if and when we get Bobby back safe and sound. So you tell me how we're gonna accomplish that?"

Again she snapped her fingers, the clear bottle of red liquid in her hand. "Same way as before Sammy."

She didn't have to say what it was. He could smell the tempting aroma. Demon's blood. "You know I can't do that, I never really got the hang of it. And I promised Dean I would never use my psychic abilities again."

"Dean's dead, Sam, and so is Bobby—if you're friend Rufus finds him first. All you need is a little practice."

Sam was silent. He knew there was nothing but truth in Ruby's statement. He searched Ruby's face, looking for signs that she was lying to him, but how would he really know. He could mostly read blonde Ruby's tells in the other vessel, but in this one he couldn't be sure. He would just have to take her word.

"Why are you here Ruby?"

"For you Sam—well, mostly and before you ask, I can't get Dean back for you, but I also want to take care of Lilith—that bitch has got it coming and then some. Let me teach you again. And for starters, the demon that has Bobby should be easy; he's rather new at this possessing business."

"What do you want from me?"

"I know losing Dean is the—"

"No—stop right there—I don't want to talk about it. You know what? Where do you get off slapping me with that greeting card 'time heals' crap? How the hell do you know?"

"I used to be human, and I still remember what it's like to lose someone.

"Un-uh, don't." He shook his head, fresh grief over Dean causing tears to well up in his eyes. "I can't"

"Sam , you're not alone." She reached out and grabbed him yanking him close, the bottle of demon blood dropping and shattering on the floor. Her mouth came to his hard and demanding.

Sam pushed her away. "What are you doing?"

Ruby protesting, "Sam it's okay."

He moved past her, several paces in fact before he turned. "That was anything but okay…"

"Sam, what's wrong?"

Fury flickered in his eyes, "Where do I start?"

Ruby looked wounded, "Is it because of this body? Like I told you there's only me inside of here."

She moved closer, "No one else in here. It's nice inside this body Sam, warm… soft…." Her lips were almost grazing his.

Sam swallowed hard, Ruby was tempting, the body was nice, everything she'd said. Her words and tone of voice arousing., but they weren't the right words or the right person. He was gentle in pushing her away this time. "I'm sorry, Ruby, I can't…. it's a nice body. But you were wrong about me being alone. You may not be able to bring Dean back and I wish you could… but I'm in love with someone and we have a shot at being happy. No way I'm I risking that for sex with a demon."

She backed away, digesting the rejection. Then as if she'd not tried to seduce him, Ruby got back to the business at hand. "So let's get to training you."

So what if let her think he would let her train him fully, but Bobby was at stake here. Bobby was family and nobody messed with his family. All he wanted was to get this job done and get back to Jo.

* * *

><p><em>Back in Duluth….<em>

Jo stood in the bathroom staring at the results of the home pregnancy test.

POSITIVE.

She was pregnant. She sank to the floor, slowly digesting the new circumstances she found herself in.

There came a knock on the bathroom door. Scott's voice drifted through. his concern evident.

"Jo, honey, you okay in there?"

"Be out in a minute, Scott."

What was she supposed to do? She knew she'd always expected to have kids someday. So there was no option for her but to keep the baby.  
>She leaned back against the wall, her eyes closed. Letting all the possible reactions Sam might have run through her head. She knew Sam didn't hate kids, in fact he and Dean were big on family, but was being a father something he'd ever wanted to be?<p>

She pushed herself up from the floor, she took a glance in the full length mirror on the back of the door, her eyes had dark circles and her hair was disheveled. Her eyes took in the length of her body. Her body that showed no indication that a tiny life was growing inside her. The only real thing she knew for sure at this point was that Sam had this honorable streak in him and the indisputable facts were that this child was not only going to be Bill Harvelle's grandchild—but also John Winchester's.

Her hand skimmed across her abdomen, this kid too, would unmistakably grow up in the hunting life. She began a soft pep talk to herself. "Sam loves me; we will get through this together. Just take it one day at a time."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Nine **

**Coming to Grips**

It was late afternoon and Jo and Scott sat together on the sofa, digesting the results of her pregnancy test. "You don't have to pretend you're fine, Jo. I know this was the last thing you were expecting. "

"I'll be fine, Scott. I'm going to make an appointment in the morning."

"If you need a shoulder Jo, I'll go with you."

"I'm a big girl. I can handle it."

"Jo, you shouldn't have to face it alone. Your mom is in Nebraska, and you have no clue when Sam will get back. What kind of friend would I be if I left you here without someone? Especially at the mercy of pregnant woman hormones."

Jo smiled at him, "You know you're gonna make some lucky girl a wonderful husband someday."

"Don't thank me; thank my sisters who collectively have six kids between them."

"Thank you anyway."

Scott pulled her to him, and she laid her head against his shoulder, she relaxed against him and drifted off to sleep. When she stirred to faint waves of nausea, he urged her to get up and steered her to her bedroom.

Scott pulled back the blankets and made her slide between the sheets. He tucked her in and waited until she'd drifted off to leave the room. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and turned on the TV with the volume down low.

A little after 9 pm the sound of Jo throwing up travelled vividly into the living room. Scott was there in just moments, waiting for her to finish with a wet cloth, wiping her face and helping her back to her feet when she was done.

He teased her lightly, "I don't think you'll have to worry about telling Sam, if you are going to be like this all the time he'd have to deaf, dumb and blind not to figure it out on his own. C'mon, Jo, let's get you back to bed for a while."

After getting her settled in again for the night, Scott grabbed a blanket and stretched out on her sofa. Jo had slept again soundly for a couple of hours, when she was shaken awake by Scott who was holding her cell phone in his hand. "You left your phone in the kitchen and lhave a missed call from Sam, honey. I didn't want to answer it for you."

"Thanks Scott." She reached out and took her phone from his extended hand.

"I'm going to give you some privacy." Scott said closing the bedroom door on his way out.

Jo pulled up the missed call, staring at Sam's face on the caller id. She drew a deep breath and pressed "SEND"

It had only been about five minutes since he'd called and he answered right away. "Hey sweetheart," she could hear the smile in his voice.

''Hi, the phone was in the other room, "

"I was worried I wouldn't get to talk to you, tonight. I'm getting ready to call it a night and I wanted to hear your voice."

"Any news on Bobby?"

"Yeah we know he's alive, and we have leads on where to find him. He's not in immediate life or death danger so we can get a night's rest. "

Thanks to the combination of hormones, nausea and missing him desperately, Jo didn't even try to stop the tears that slid down her cheek, and simply tried not to let him know she was crying.  
>Sam's voice was sinful and seductive as he proceeded to tell Jo in great detail exactly what he intended to do to her when he got back in a few days. Jo kept swallowing the lump in her throat as she just listened to the sound of his voice as he talked. Keeping her responses to a minimum, taking comfort in the love coming to her through the phone.<p>

After several minutes Sam realized she wasn't as talkative as usual. "Jo, what's wrong baby?"

"I just miss you so much," she replied and it wasn't really a lie. Jo wanted nothing more than to feel his strong arms holding her close.

"I love you Jo. I promise just a few more days."

The latest wave of nausea came out of nowhere, but she fought the now familiar churning in her stomach, trying to make through the call. "I love you too, Sam. You go get some rest."

'You too, sweetheart. Talk to you tomorrow."

She tossed the phone aside as she kicked off the blanket feeling the spasm and barely making it to the bathroom before she threw up.

In moments Scott was there again to help Jo backup and wash her face. As he tilted Jo's face up he saw the tears." Jo, is everything okay with Sam?"

"Its fine, but do you have any idea how hard it is not to throw up while you are in the middle of a phone call. Actually I just miss him too much."

"You didn't tell him did you?"

"No. I want to tell him face to face."

"Okay, Jo that choice is yours, but you know he'd come right back if you told him. He could be here in just a couple of hours."

"That's exactly why I didn't, our friend Bobby has an urgent problem. It's not like I'm going to have this baby in the next few days.

* * *

><p>Sam stared at the now silent phone. A wave of concern washing through him. He was sure she'd been crying. Something was wrong he could feel it deep inside. It was more than just being apart.<p>

If it weren't for Bobby, he wouldn't be pulled into a rest area, sprawled across the back seat of the Impala to sleep. He would be headed straight for Duluth to find out what was wrong with the woman he loved. He certainly wouldn't be pairing up with Ruby to find Bobby.

It was also why he'd sent Rufus on ahead of them. He was not stupid enough to tell the older hunter that they were working with a demon. As far as Rufus was concerned they had merely gotten separated and that Sam had found nothing whatsoever in the warehouse. He'd led Rufus to believe that he'd gotten a call from another hunter about Bobby's whereabouts.

* * *

><p><em>Early the next morning<em>

Jo woke up her guest. "Good morning."

Scott sat up, ruffling his fingers across his hair. "How are you this morning?

"I'll be fine once I see the doctor."

"And when might that be?"

"In a couple of hours actually. They had a cancellation this morning, and they said they might even be able to do an ultrasound right there in the office."

"I'm coming with you."

She saw no point in arguing, he would come anyway.

Jo showered and dressed quickly, and they headed for the doctor's office. When they called her name Jo went back to an exam room. About an hour later she emerged to find Scott dozing in a chair in the corner with a magazine dangling from his hand. She went over and nudged him with her foot.

He sat up blinking at her, trying to find his focus, "So?"

"Nothing we didn't already know."

Scott couldn't miss the excitement in her eyes.

"Are you sure that's everything."

"Well, if you're going to insist on the details. Yes. I'm pregnant; roughly eight weeks give or take a couple of days either way. So far the baby is fine. The doctor did an ultrasound and," her eyes sparkled, "I got to hear the baby's heartbeat."

Jo was still trying to wrap her mind around that rapid little fluttering she'd seen on the ultrasound.

This was really happening. That racing little heartbeat. In roughly seven months if all went well she would be holding her child. Sam's child.

As long as her child came safely into the world nothing could make her happier.


	11. Chapter 11

Telling Sam…

**-Jo-**

It had been just over a week since Sam had left to find Bobby and three days since Jo had found out she was pregnant. She had returned to work yesterday although she was only working half-shifts during the day. She worked the mid-afternoon shift between the lunch hour and happy hour.

Between the _'not-always-in-the-morning'_ morning sickness and constant fatigue it was all she could manage. Fortunately the dizzy spells had vanished and for the most part all her body wanted to do was sleep.

Even so, Scott still was vigilant in keeping watch over her. Nothing he didn't expect that Sam would be doing when he got back. He still thought she should have told Sam already, but she was adamant about waiting.

Scott was a god send. He'd brought her home from her appointment, checked her cupboards, instructed her to take a nap and he'd gone out and gotten healthy baby producing foods and picked up her prescription for prenatal vitamins.

At this particular moment, Scott was behind the bar restocking the scotch and whiskey when he heard the distinct ringtone. He looked up to see the bright smile that lit up Jo's face. She talked to her caller briefly before slipping the phone back into her pocket.

So he stated the obvious. "Sam again?"

"Yeah." She collected beer bottles off the nearest table.

"He still comin' today?" he asked, setting the now empty whiskey box up on the bar.

"He didn't get away from Bobby's as early as he hoped and now he's caught up in rush hour in St Paul. Says he's gonna be running a couple of hours behind schedule but he promises he'll be home tonight."

Scott smiled to himself.

_Those revealing little four-letter words._

He noted that she'd said 'home 'and not 'back'.

_Those ever meaningful little Freudian slips_.

It meant Jo was thinking of permanence with Sam. Good for her, because he knew without a doubt that Sam was interested in similar permanence. The man wore his love for Jo on his sleeve. Now to hope that Sam's view of permanence included people of the infant persuasion.

**-Sam-**

Somewhere on northbound I-35, Sam tapped his fingers impatiently on the Impala's steering wheel. Of all times for a multi-car collision—that's what the traffic report on the radio said. Traffic was backed up as far as he could see in front of him. So much for taking the interstate to make better time. Nobody northbound was moving. He grabbed the map on the seat next to him looking for an exit to get around the accident.

There was an exit to a four lane highway that would get him there in about the same amount of time, as long as he didn't encounter any accident on that route. He might just make up the time he'd lost simply by being able to move instead of sitting at a near standstill. It was about half a mile ahead of him, and about 30 miles north would rejoin this interstate again. Then it would be about an hour and a half depending on traffic and him doing the max speed allowed.

Out of boredom—while he was waiting for the traffic to at least speed up to a slow crawl ahead of him—the hunt came back to him…

_Trapping the demons had not been easy even with Ruby with him. As always, no one ever came away from a hunt unscathed. It was not just Bobby who'd been possessed. A second demon had been caught in a Devil's trap and exorcised by Rufus at the same time Sam did his own thing, using his mind to exorcise the demon in Bobby, it had felt good._

_Both victims had survived and Rufus had taken the startled man back home to Eau Claire and Sam had taken care of getting Bobby home to Singer Salvage. Physically Bobby was fine, although a bit perturbed that his anti-possession medallion had somehow been lost, and therefore none too pleased that a demon had gotten the drop on him._

_Sam also realized that while exorcising demons his way was certainly more efficient, less traumatic for the victims, he really couldn't let Ruby talk him back into this ever again. Not only would Dean have wholly disapproved—and not just of the demon's blood, but of any association with a demon-he had all but forgotten the rush that came with demon blood. _

_Contact with a demon, especially his own possession by Meg should have sent him running from Ruby and her suggestions at all costs. Just the one vial, while giving him the ability to defeat the demon in Bobby also tapped into what he'd felt when possessed by Meg, the air of superiority that he sensed while his own will had been suppressed. _

_It felt…. for lack of a better word, it felt 'OFF' and he didn't like it one bit. He didn't dare do it again. He refused to bring this risk home to Jo. Never again could he take the risk that he would hurt those he loved because he was out of control. _

_Using his body, Meg had killed a fellow hunter and done god only knows what else during a week when he had not been aware. Meg had intended to make him take Jo against her will, he'd not made any effort to stop it, because she'd allowed him just enough of himself that he'd not realized any of those impulses were not fully his own, that is until Dean showed up. Then Meg had taken him over completely and he(they) had shot Dean. _

A car honked behind him drawing his attention back to the traffic surrounding him. Cars were beginning to move ahead of him.

_Three hours later …_

After knocking a couple of times, Sam tried the door, frowning to find that it was unlocked and he let himself in. It was after dark and the lights were on in the apartment. He set his bag just inside the door and called out for her.

"Jo?"

Sam found her asleep on the sofa, the television was playing, although the volume was not very loud. He stood there and just watched her for a minute or so. He loved to just look at her. So Sam moved closer and eased down to sit on the edge of the sofa at her side, reaching out to brush the blond hair back from her face; somewhere in his head noting she looked a bit pale.

Jo stirred at his touch and shifted, turning to her back as her eyes fluttered open, looking up at him. She reached up to him, touching his face, whispering his name, "Sammy?"

It was all the invitation Sam needed to pull her up into his arms and hug her close. "Jesus! Do you know how much I've missed just holdin' you."

She hugged him back, almost clinging to him as he pulled back from her, only enough though to lower his mouth to hers. He gave her a slow, lingering, probing kiss—savoring the taste of her. Then he set her back from him, settling himself beside her. "Okay Jo, I'm here now, so tell me what's wrong?"

Jo stared at him like she was in shock, when she finally replied her tone was evasive, "Why do you think something's wrong?"

It was clearly a delaying tactic and he wasn't going to let it slide. Whatever it was that had her upset, she'd put off telling him long enough. "You know, Jo, you're a terrible liar.

She looked away, "I'm sorry Sam, I just don't know how to tell…."

The nausea hit her without warning, followed by the clenching spasm, and she covered her mouth with her hand and pushed up off the sofa, bolting from the room.

Sam didn't even have time to think about her departure before he heard the sounds coming back into the room. He rushed after her, finding her draped over the toilet throwing up. He was suddenly thinking maybe he was mistaken about something being wrong and that she just wasn't feeling well.

He knelt down beside her and held her until she stopped heaving. When she stopped he pulled her into a tighter embrace. "Jo, are you alright?"

She nodded yes against his chest; her hands clinging to his sleeves.

"How long has this been going on?"

"A few days." She inhaled deeply, to catch her breath as she pushed away from him.

Sam's mind and heart both began to race. _What was wrong with her? How sick was she?_ Jo felt his arms tighten around her and fear had crept into his voice. "We should get you to a doctor."

She tried to calm him, "It's okay Sam, I've already been."

Her comment had the opposite effect, and Sam's tone of voice demanded immediate response. "And?"

Jo met his gaze directly, with a half-smile, reaching up, lovingly pushing the hair back from his face.

"I'm pregnant."

Two words, just two words and Sam fell back into a sitting position.

This was so not how she'd planned on doing this, but sitting together on the bathroom floor under the circumstances seemed as good a place as any to tell him.

The stunned look on his face acknowledged his confusion about how to react; he still needed to process the information. She'd had three days to adjust to the knowledge. He was silent for mere moments that seemed to stretch on forever before speaking again. He ran his hand through his hair before he spoke. "You're sure?"

"The obstetrician did an ultrasound. I heard our baby's heart beating."

His gaze left Jo's face and went to her belly. Everything in his world shifted off center at Jo's words. He repeated them with reverence and awe.

"O_ur Baby…" _

"Yeah." She didn't say more, she needed to let him come to his own terms whatever they might be. His hand then followed his fixated gaze to her belly, "You really heard the heart beat?"

"Yeah" she said again.

Sam drew a ragged breath, and when he finally looked back up at Jo, there were incredulous tears in his eyes. "When?"

"Sometime during the first week we were together."

He did the mental math, "Just a little over two months ago. Was this why you were crying the other night when I called?"

"Yeah, I had done a home test, but I hadn't been to the doctor yet."

"Why didn't you tell me then?"

She reached up to lovingly caress his face, "God only knows I wanted to, but I was afraid it would have interfered with your work. I couldn't run the risk of you being distracted on a hunt. Bobby needed you."

He nodded, his hand coming up to grasp her hand gently, his gaze searching hers intently, "Okay, I can buy that." She had a point, if he'd been worrying about this he could have gotten everyone killed. People he considered family.

He got this deeply thoughtful look on his face, followed by a hopeful smile. "You do know I've wanted a real family all my life—not that Dean and Dad weren't my family. But you and I both know our families were so far from normal. Joanna Beth Harvelle…. Please marry me."

Jo's jaw dropped for moment. "Sammy, slow down."

Sam had the decency to look somewhat embarrassed by his lack of planning. Even he had to admit that his spontaneous proposal with both of them sitting on the bathroom floor could be construed as far from romantic.

He managed a sheepish but unapologetic grin, "Sorry, I got a little carried away. I don't want you to think I'd ask just because you're pregnant. It's just that having and loving you and now this—." His tone turned serious again as his gaze dropped again to her belly, "It's not something I ever dared to dream of—especially after what happened with Jess."

Jo was not offended by his mention of Jess, they had both lost loves to supernatural causes and she smiled back up at him, "I know, Sam, it's not like this hasn't taken me by surprise too. We don't have to decide everything this instant."

She had a point and Sam let it go, getting to his feet and then reaching down to offer Jo his hand which she accepted. Pulling her up from the floor and putting his arm around her shoulders. He hugged Jo close and kissed the top of her head. Then to Jo's surprise she was lifted in his arms and he carried her from the bathroom to the bedroom.

Without removing anything other than Sam's shoes they lay down on the bed together. He curled up around her and just held her until she fell asleep against him. Without even thinking his hand moved protectively to her belly where their baby was.

Sam held her as she drifted away, and he knew she was resting at last when her breathing deepened and evened out. She was obviously exhausted.

He on the other hand only dozed. Hundreds of thoughts running his mind. All the things they would need to do. He would be at her side as much as possible.

Sam pushed away the other thoughts, the ones about the safety of their child in this hunter's world they lived in. There would be time for those considerations later. Although he knew one thing for certain—unlike John Winchester—if his child wanted out of this life style there was no way he would ever force them to stay.

A couple of hours passed, and Sam awoke as she bolted from the bed. He followed to find Jo kneeling over the toilet again. He moved to her, rubbing her back, murmuring soothing words, "it's going to be okay Jo," and pulling her back against him when she was done. "I'm right here baby,"

_A short while later…_

Sam had finally fallen asleep curled around Jo. When he awoke again the sun was peeking through the curtains, they had slept the rest of the night through without further incident. He listened to her even gentle breathing, so overjoyed to have her in his arms again. The events of the previous evening played through his mind again.

For a second time in less than three months Sam's life had been turned upside down. Although this time it was for the good, His hand was once again drawn irresistibly to her belly. The baby was there. _His baby._ The only thought that made him sad was that his child would never know its Uncle Dean.

Jo stirred, murmured something unintelligible, snuggling tighter against him and then drifted away again. His stomach rumbled and he realized neither of them had eaten anything since he'd arrived last night. He was hungry. He carefully disentangled her body from his, easing her onto the pillows trying not to wake her. She stirred again and then slept on. He tucked her hair behind her ear, his heart full of love for her.

He went to the kitchen to find something for them to eat. Something Jo might not throw back up. She had to at least try to eat something...


	12. Chapter 12

_**Duluth**_

**~JO-~**

Sam was gone on another job. A friend of Rufus's had called asking for Sam's help in researching a hunt just a few hours away. Supposedly a fairly straight forward salt and burn, and Sam had gone as a backup.

Jo was working her second full length shift today—hopefully work and Scott could keep her mind off Sam's safety. Their new circumstances made him even more vitally important to her than ever before. They couldn't be happier.

It had been three weeks since Jo had told Sam about the baby. She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but not his instant acceptance of the situation. In fact she was surprised by how at peace he seemed with the thought of having a kid.

Except that Sam was now super protective. Of course he was, he was a Winchester and this was a family matter and nobody did family loyalty more deeply than a Winchester.

Well, at least he was getting better about his hovering , but that might have had something to do with her improved state. While it was true that she was further into the pregnancy now, she had quickly figured out that it had been more than just pregnancy hormones.

As soon as the stress of telling Sam and worrying over his possible reactions was over, her morning sickness had reduced considerably. And of course Sam had resorted to researching every aspect of pregnancy and prenatal care he could find in between doing research for whatever jobs he was looking into.

She had returned to work full-time yesterday, dizziness no longer an issue, mild bouts of nausea here and there, but she had not thrown up in three days. Sleep patterns were returning to normal as well, and aside from a now ravenous appetite she felt much improved.

Her phone vibrated with an incoming text. She pulled her phone out and then smiled at her message from Sam.

_'Things going well?'_

She sent a quick reply._ 'Feel good today. Miss you lots.'_

_'Same here. Be home tomorrow. Take care. Love you.'_

_'I love you too. Sam, please be careful out there.'_

**SAM**

As Jo slid her phone back into her pocket, two hundred miles away Sam read her last text. He never knew it was possible to miss someone other than Dean this much. Not even his father. The days and weeks and sometimes months his father would disappear. That was never gonna happen with his kid/or kids if fate decided to be so inclined.

So inclined… it would not be for lack of trying if things with Jo continued as they were now. Although her pregnancy had not changed their desire for each other one bit, it had changed his approach for at least for the time being. ..

_He'd been back in Duluth for a few days, but given Jo's condition for the time being he'd not pushed for anything more intimate than spooning together in the dark. Then she'd certainly made a turn to feeling better._

_She'd gotten up that morning without any morning sickness, and she'd actually made the first move. He was sitting at the kitchen table scanning the morning paper for anything that might qualify as a possible case. Jo had dropped into his lap—kissing him—softly at first, and then moaning into the kiss as he returned it. _

_It was all the invitation he'd needed to sweep her up into his arms and carry her back to bed. It had been almost two weeks since they'd last made love and it rapidly became a game of mutual exploration and rediscovery as they reacquainted themselves with each other's body. He was decidedly fascinated by the increased fullness of Jo's breasts. _

_Still, although she was clearly feeling much better, he was also worried that one touch might hurt her, or that another touch might harm the baby. He'd lost far too much recently and he was not going take any risk here. Only when she'd repeatedly reassured him that there was no risk for either one of them did he finally allow himself to push inside her. He tried to be gentle and tender. _

_While it was not as desperately frenzied or wild as they often were, at that moment it was what felt right. It felt perfect as they achieved their mutual release together. He moved off her, taking her into his arms and holding her tight against him._

He'd meant it when he'd asked her to marry him. He'd given her some time, and his opinion on the subject was not likely to ever change. Sam looked down the small velvet covered jeweler's box that lay on the passenger seat of the Impala. He was a Winchester and they didn't give up. Especially when it was something they really wanted, and Sam wanted this more than anything in the world.

**SCOTT**

He had noted Jo's relief at the text conversation. She never said it out loud, but Scott knew she was scared every time Sam left that he might not come back. He could see it in her face, read it in her eyes. And it wasn't because she thought Sam might leave her high and dry, on her own with a child. It was because like his brother Dean, the odds were that on one of these trips Sam might not be alive to return.

While it was never a open topic of conversation, Sam and Scott had an unspoken understanding. Scott was fully aware of what Sam's little business trips actually were. What Sam actually was and Sam was also aware that he knew. He also knew that Jo and her mother while hunting from time to time themselves, were more often than not a hub for information between other hunters.

So knowing what could be out there in the dark, and how closely Jo and Sam were associated with those things made Scott just a little more aware of the unusual. So it was not surprising that he was more than just a little aware of the new customer.

He couldn't help but notice. The woman was sitting alone at a corner table, the beer in front of her relatively untouched. She'd been there for more than an hour interacting with no one.

She was a looker, dark eyes, the curtain of silky dark hair. Slender but adequately endowed. She seemed to just be watching. It made him distinctly uncomfortable and he knew exactly why. He didn't like the amount of time she spent watching Jo.


	13. Chapter 13

A Demon Scorned

**Ruby**

She watched the woman go about her business—waiting on and clearing off tables, cheerfully chatting with customers.

_** This was Sam's happily ever after?**_

Not if she had anything to do it. Damn Lilith's interference—banishing her to the far side of hell, however temporary—had certainly derailed all of Ruby's plans, at least for the time being. In addition, it was of little help either that no matter that the demon side of Ruby had a specific agenda; there was a conflict for her here. Because no matter whatever else happened, that little spark of remembered humanity that remained in her was susceptible to those puppy dog eyes just like everyone else, and therefore she was hopelessly in love with Sam Winchester

It was that hopeful fondness that gave her the patience to deal with his recently his inconsistent loyalties. All her hard work on Sam's "gifts" after Dean had made that unfortunate deal were laid to waste when she'd been banished. With Dean gone to Hell—as planned, Sam's sudden involvement with the Harvelle girl was an unexpected impediment. Dean's relocation to Hell was supposed have made Sam's devotion to Ruby absolute.

Before she'd arrived yesterday, she'd heard the demonic whispers about Sam's impending fatherhood. But Ruby had not given it full credit until through her continued surveillance/eavesdropping that Blondie and the bartender confirmed in random conversation about Sam arriving this afternoon.

Dumping this vessel to make that blond bitch her vessel was no longer an option. She'd already given that full consideration but this woman, just like Sam and Dean, was already warded against demonic possession—and given the fact that she was pregnant with Sam's child, well that definitely made killing her so NOT an option.

Just in case she couldn't get Sam to toe the line in relationship to offing Lilith, well that unborn kid being a Winchester made for a leverage Hell had certainly never dreamed of and all that made keeping Blondie alive of the utmost importance. At least until Sam's kid got into the world safe and sound.

Still one the perks of being a demon was wreaking havoc—in fact it was a given. So just because Ruby couldn't eliminate the competition, didn't mean she couldn't make said competition suffer for her interference in Ruby's carefully sculpted agenda.

_**Early evening same day….** _

Ruby saw him coming down the walkway toward the tavern. Knowing he was coming to see that pregnant bitch he claimed to be in love with. She knew that Jo was inside and while she couldn't possess her body, with her supernatural hearing she could focus most of her attentions on Jo's conversation inside the tavern, and she'd seen Jo step outside the door several times in the last hour or so in anticipation of Sam's arrival.

The relationship between Sam and Blondie was so sickening sweet, it made her want to puke. However, demons didn't typically fall prey to that particular malady and If she wasn't faithful to Lucifer she would send up a prayer of thanks to God. This was going to be so damn easy.

Simple timing things was all it was going to take and to be honest with herself this had nothing to do with being a demon. Although being one made 'Hell had no wrath like a woman scorned' an understatement. Demon or no, she was a woman jealous, plain and simple.

**SAM**

He strolled toward the dockside tavern, the familiarity of his hands in his pockets nothing unexpected to anyone who knew much about Sam Winchester. One hand was closed around the velvet box containing the engagement ring he hoped with everything in his heart that Jo would accept.

He was only mere yards from the tavern entrance when an unexpected 'she' stepped out in front of him. He thought this was settled. "Ruby what are you doing here?"

Ruby put forth a most believable pout, "Aren't you glad to see me?" Her touch was unmistakably one of seduction.

Sam was exasperated to say the least. How many times would he have to tell her he would never be her lover? He would not even qualify her as a friend, no matter how desirable she was physically. There was no room for that kind of love in him for anyone but Jo.

Although Sam should have known better he never let the thought occur to him that he was being manipulated. He was playing right into her plans.

**RUBY**

If nothing else, over the centuries in hell, Ruby had excelled in deception, misdirection and manipulation. This time was no different. She maneuvered her position so she kept an eye on the door of the tavern, "Seriously Sam, you would pick her over me?

"We covered this before Ruby. What are you up to?"

Catching the sound of the turning knob on the tavern's door, Ruby threw herself at Sam, pulling his face down to hers and kissing him for all she was worth. Sam's hands went to her arms to pushed her away, but with the strength that came from being a demon she held on to him until she heard what she was waiting for.

A startled gasp was all it took for her to release Sam, a self-satisfied smirk on her face. She glanced at Jo to see that the damage was done.

Sam turned in the direction of the sound and knew what Jo had seen. He glanced back to Ruby's face. "Damn you, Ruby!

He stepped toward the door, "Jo…. Sweetheart, it's not what you think."

He didn't have to be any closer, the tone of her voice told him there were tears in her eyes. "Lying is so beneath you Sam…. I would have expected something like this from Dean , but you…?"

"I swear Jo, I wasn't kissing her."

"I don't believe you Sam. I saw what I saw. Don't come home and don't come in here either."

Sam turned back to confront Ruby. She wasn't stupid. Sam still had the demon blade.

She was gone.


	14. Chapter 14

**The Misunderstanding**

Sam stared at the spot where Ruby had been only moments before. Then his gaze shot back to the door that had just closed behind the woman he loved.

When the she-demon had kissed him she'd shoved him back against the tavern's outer wall. As the heart-clenching ache gripped him deep in his chest, he slid down the wall until he was sitting on the ground. His world had just metaphorically gone from the highest peaks of heaven to the pits of hell in mere seconds.

He was no fool, he knew what it had looked like to Jo. _,_He dropped his head into his hands. It wasn't quite like the devastation of losing Dean. But it was damn close. Jo was alive on the other side of these walls. Where she'd just made it clear he was NOT welcome.

What was he supposed to do now? Where was he supposed to go? The last thing he wanted to do was to rent another cheap motel room or crash in the Impala's back seat.

Despite his emotional state, years of hunting the paranormal and supernatural made keeping track of things going on around him second nature. The approaching footsteps were decidedly human and when they stopped beside him he looked up into Scott Porter's face.

The other man extended his hand to the despondent hunter "C'mon. Sam, it'll be okay."

"What?" Sam didn't move, bewilderment on his face, thinking nothing would ever be okay again. "How?"

"I heard it Sam. Every single word that dark-haired bitch said. I heard it all."

Hope flickered anew for Sam. He reached up to accept the extended hand, allowing Scott to pull him to his feet. His next words more to reassure himself than to ask Scott a question. "So you know I did nothing to encourage Ruby?"

"Yeah, Sam, this Ruby of yours has been hanging around here the last couple of days.

Sam's trouble-radar went off the scales. "Ruby's been around here for two days? What the hell has she been doing?"

"She showed up yesterday, spent most of the afternoon in the corner. Unobtrusive, only drinking a couple of beers. What had me concerned was the amount of time she spent staring at Jo—watching her like a hawk."

Fear for Jo and his unborn child washed through Sam in a giant wave. "I swear I'm gonna kill her." His resolve to straighten things out with Jo increased exponentially.

"C'mon Sam, you don't mean that, just because she thinks she as some twisted previous claim on you."

Despite his concerns, Scott was still thinking of this in purely human terms. Sam decided it was time for Scott to be educated. So he began the cliff-notes, bare basics, short version of Demonology 101.

"You know what we do—what I hunt."

"Yeah I have a fair idea." Scott suddenly catching onto where Sam was leading him, "Are you telling me this Ruby—"

"Yeah. She's a demon."

Maybe 15 minutes later, after explanations from Sam about demons, the supernatural use of salt, silver, and holy water. Scott's mind was thoroughly muddied with the information he wasn't sure he wanted to believe, but with a clear purpose and plan in hand Scott returned to the bar the same way he he'd gone out, through the back door.

He glanced at the other bartender for this evening. "Hey Mike, seen Jo?"

"The office. She slammed the door so I hard I thought that it might fall off."

"Thanks" He said heading directly for the office door. Just great, he was thinking. She wasn't just upset, she was in a state of majorly pissed off. And the object of her fury was innocent. Well, almost anyway-it was so not Sam's fault that he'd been played by a jealous demon.

From his place behind the bar Mike shook his head. He wanted no part of an angry woman. Especially if was Jo. Scott was a whole lot braver-and bigger-than he was. Still Mike's man card would not let Scott enter without at least a warning. "Watch it in there."

Jo was in the office, behind the desk, her head on her forearms, shaking with sobs when Scott came inside.

"Jo."

She raised her tear-stained face to meet Scott's gaze. "What?"

"I just talked to Sam."

She began to sputter angrily, "He came in here after I told him not to?" She came to her feet, heading around the desk. "The lousy two-timing bastard."

"Jo stop it!" He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off her feet. "He's not out there."

She stopped squirming, "Put me down."

Instead of doing as requested he was gonna say what he had to say while he had her at a disctinct physical advantage. As much as he liked Sam Winchester, Scott's loyalty at this moment was to his own private parts. "Jo, he didn't do anything wrong."

"Is that what he told you?" She start to squirm again.

"No, he didn't have to tell me anything. Can I put you down without you killing someone? Then you're gonna sit back down and hear from me the facts that you didn't allow Sam to tell you. There's always two sides to every story and in this case there's at least three. Yours-which is grossly uniformed, hers-which only she gives a damn about, and Sam's which also happens to be identical to mine."

"So tell me then, are you telling me I didn't see what I saw." She sat back down at the desk, rasing a brow expectantly, but still clearly not believing anything other than what she'd seen outside.

Scott still standing made a point of pacing back and forth on the other side of the desk. Determined to make any dash for the door by Jo futile. "I know what you saw, honey. You were outside for maybe 20 seconds. I was there from the minute that demon-bitch accosted Sam.

"That woman that's been in here off and on the last two days is a demon?!" Jo hissed.

"Yes, and apparently she wants Sam-badly. She didn't know I was there, I had just taken out a bag of trash to the dumpster. She planned the whole thing for your benefit."

Scott would have laughed out loud if the situation were not of such great importance. Jo's demeanor flipped in an instant from fury and outrage for what she'd seen as Sam's betrayal to fierce possessiveness and determined protectiveness of the man she was in love with.

Still logic reared it's head, but this time it was curiosity, Jo seeking-desperately needing some kind of validation to justify changing her mind about what she'd seen. "But that kiss."

"I swear on my life, honey. It was all her, Jo. Sam had already told her he wasn't interested, the instant you opened that door she was on him. What you saw, honey, was him trying to push her away, but she was so strong he couldn't get free. The instant she heard you gasp, she let him go. Sam's a mess, Jo. He loves you so much and he's afraid he's lost you."

The enormity of her words to Sam hit her full force. It was not the telling him not to come home or telling him he was not welcome. It was her inferring that he was as callous about his relationships as Dean had been. "Omigod, Scott what have I done?"

"Nothing that an apology and a little loving from you can't fix."

"Scott, I need to go, now. I have to find him."

Scott smiled, "I wouldn't expect you to need to do anything else. And finding him should be easy enough. I sent him home to your place."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Sorry this one took a full week, but realities of life intruded and the birth of my third granddaughter five weeks early took precedence. Thankfully our "little bird" is just small and otherwise perfect.  
><strong>

**Also could not resist using this song for Sam and Jo at this point in the relationship. They saved each other in way that they themselves have not realized yet. **

* * *

><p><strong><em>Deep as the ocean, <em>****_ and right as rain_**  
><strong><em>This powerful emotion<em>** **_lifts me up above the plain_**  
><strong><em>Taking me to places, <em>****_I never thought I'd go_**  
><strong><em>Showing me a grace <em>****_I never thought I'd know_**

**_When I feel like I can't go on,_** **_you deliver me._**  
><strong><em>And when the road is winding<em>** **_and way too long,_** **_you deliver me. _**

**_You deliver me. _**

**_I feel like a sinner _****_whose sins have been washed clean_**  
><strong><em>An absolute beginner <em>****_whose heart has never seen_**  
><strong><em>I must be forgiven <em>****_for sometimes asking why_**  
><strong><em>I was chosen to be given<em>** **_you in this life _**

**_When I feel like I can't go on, _****_you deliver me._**  
><strong><em>And when the road is winding <em>****_and way too long,_** **_you deliver me._**

**_ You deliver me. _**

**_When there's a distance between_**  
><strong><em> what I am<em>** **_and who I want to be_**

**_You deliver me. _**

(You Deliver Me—artist Clay Walker)

* * *

><p><span><strong>DELIVERANCE<strong> 

The only light in the room was the low glow of the television. He'd turned it on to mask the lonely silence of the apartment. The jeweler's box was on the low table in front of the couch.

Sam was freshly showered, desperate to rid himself of any taint Ruby might have left on him or his clothes. The only scent he wanted Jo to smell was cleanliness when she came home. Ribbons of anxiety curled and twisted in his gut. He had never had so much to lose.

Thought after thought ran through his mind, he'd come into this relationship eyes wide open, as had Jo. They knew the risks of the hunting life, but from the moment they'd discovered and accepted the fact that she was pregnant neither one of them had thought twice about not trying for the elusive hunter's dream. A home and family for their unborn child..

He heard her key turning in the lock and he rose to his feet. The door opened and closed and in moments she was standing right in front of him

Their eyes met for an instant, everything they felt for each other right there in that moment. His heart was in his throat and words failed him completely.

Thankfully, although few, words didn't fail Jo. "Oh, Sammy," her hand came up to caress his cheek. "Forgive me for being so stupid."

He brought his hand up to cover hers, his fears pouring out, "What would I do if I ever lost you?"

"Over a demon?" She scoffed. "Never.'

"Baby, I'm so sorry. I swear I'm going to make her pay for hurting you like that."

"I don't think so Sam. That demon-bitch ever tries to come between us again, well you know… "

Jo's righteous indignation was glorious, and Sam fought not to laugh aloud as thoughts of Ruby at the mercy of Joanna Beth Harvelle when she was seriously pissed off was something many would pay to see. Instead of voicing that opinion, he instead went with what was in his heart. "I love you Jo."

"I know." Jo smiled up at him, "She tried to hurt us and failed. I'm here, you're here," she took his hand and placed it on her abdomen, "this is still here."

Instead of fighting back tears of defeat, he let the tears of hope flow and Sam replied with actions instead of words as he pulled her into his arms. Within Sam's welcoming embrace, Jo put her arms around his waist. Her head resting against his chest, hearing the steady, reassuring beat of his heart.

For a while they just held on, When Sam's hand began stroke up and down her back in a feather soft caress, Jo pulled back looking up into his face, reaching up to touch his damp cheeks.

Her fingers traced the lines of his face, then Sam's hand came up to grasp her fingers, sucking them into the heat of his mouth one at a time, the comfortable familiar gleam in his eyes and Jo's heart lurched.

_Passion. Hunger. Desire_-like their first time all over again. Jo's breathing quickened beneath his gaze.

_**How did he send heat coursing through her with just a look?"**_

Sam leaned down resting his forehead against hers, cupping her face in his hands. His thumbs stroked along her throat and his fingers curled into her hair, saying with words what he'd just said with his eyes again, leaning further down and murmuring softly against her lips, "I love you, baby."

Jo's reply was directly to the point as her hands slid up beneath his shirt. Skimming a delicate caress up and down his ribs. Her hands stroking across the muscles of his chest. "Too many clothes, Winchester."

Given the emotional roller coaster they'd been on all evening every sense was heightened. Each touch was intensified. The kiss when it came was tenderly brutal, feeding the mutual hunger and Jo's head fell back in surrender as he trailed wet fire down her throat with his mouth. He supported her body as she gave herself over to him. He lifted her in his arms and carried her to their bedroom.

Sam took the lead as his shirt then Jo's found purchase on the floor. Piece by piece they stripped each other in between kisses and caresses.

Finally they were naked and Sam positioned Jo on the edge of the bed. He knelt on the floor beside the bed, spreading her legs wide then bending to slide his tongue into the fold before gliding upward to stroke her center of he did it again, then again continuing a steady rhythmic caress.

Jo's fingers curled through his hair as her back arched, inviting him to delve deeper until he carried her over the edge, but he wasn't done by any means. Sam moved over her to take her mouth in another devastating kiss, the taste of her was still on his tongue as he pushed deeply toward her throat and the ache between her legs returned rapidly, desiring further fulfillment.

Sam's hands teasing her breasts, bringing the nipples to firm peaks before moving back down enough to take and tease each one in turn, before returning his mouth to hers again. After a few more moments Jo pushed at his shoulders and Sam broke away from the kiss raising up on his arms to look her in the eye.

"Fuck me, Sam." The breathy whisper was more than enough. She would not have to ask him twice. He positioned himself and pushed gently into the wet waiting folds. He began slowly, tenderly thrusting, finding the steady familiar rhythm that was theirs.

Jo raised her hips to meet each thrust, trying to draw him deeper. Their gazes were locked together, each of them watching the other's expressions as they danced through the fires of their passion finally finding completion together.

Sam withdrew from the heat of her body, collapsing beside her on the bed. As Jo curled herself around him Sam reached out to take her hand and held it against his chest, his fingers intertwined with hers. "Jo?"

Jo turned her face to his gaze, the look in his eyes so very hopeful. "Yes, Sam?"

"Baby," he paused, gathering himself with a fortifying breath, watching her face expectantly before he asked her again. She was the best thing that had happened to him in a very long time. He wanted to make sure the world knew she was his and he also wanted their child's future settled.

_"Will you marry me?"_

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Jo sat up in the bed, glancing beside her at her gifted lover, his body almost naked, his private parts the only thing covered by the sheet. He was beautiful, and she watched with sheer admiration the gentle rise and fall of the strong, taut muscles of his chest while he snored softly in his sleep.<p>

For the moment, at least, he seemed to be at peace. She reached out, unable resist the urge to brush the hair back from his face, then moving lower, a single finger tracing the outline of the anti-possession tattoo he wore on his chest. No how much self-condemnation and guilt Sam often buried himself in, Jo knew without any doubts that his intentions were always good. And there was his fierce determination that what happened with Meg was to never, ever happen again.

His love for her was such an unexpected gift. She had accepted his proposal this time without hesitation. It had taken the incident with Ruby for her to realize just how lost she would be if she were to lose him. To realize how deeply in love she had fallen with him. She would fight to her last breath for him and their child.

With a glance over at the clock she decided 6:17 am was way too early to get up. She lay back down curling her body toward Sam. As soon as her hand slid across his ribs he turned toward her, still asleep, instinctively drawing her into his embrace wrapping his arms around her.

Jo gaze was caught by the sparkle of the small diamond on her left hand before she dropped a light kiss on his chest, then snuggled as close as she could. In moments they were both snoring peacefully, for the moment at least all was right in their world.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N... sorry its been so long, but in addition to realities of life, a case of not necessarily writer's block since a few chapters away I know exactly what happens, it took some work to fill the gap. Two chapters from here we are going to be getting into modified famliar territory of season four. As much as I wanted to stick fairly close to canon, my muse is dragging me off in another direction. I believe I'll reach the same ultimate destinations but some events may occur differently or not at all.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>THE ROAD HOME<br>**

**Now**

**Central Nebraska** - It had been just over two weeks since Sam had proposed and Jo had said yes.

In one of the upstairs bedrooms of Ellen Harvelle's finally reopened Roadhouse, the early morning sun streamed through the partially opened curtains onto the soon to be married couple.

The sunlight sparkled off Jo's engagement ring as Sam Winchester snuggled his fiancée closer into his embrace. His dreams were pleasant as he drifted toward consciousness. They would be married in a two weeks and the future was promising.

**Then**

**The Roadtrip**

**Duluth, - **Three days after Jo had accepted Sam's marriage proposal and engagement ring, Sam tucked another bag behind the driver's seat of the Impala.

Jo was still upstairs making a final pass through the furnished apartment she'd been renting, making sure she wasn't forgetting anything before turning the keys back over to the landlord. Her lease had been scheduled for termination anyway in a couple of weeks, so they had decided to go ahead and go now.

As fellow hunters Jo traveled relatively light although she'd been in Duluth for quite a while. Still, she didn't have a lot to pack.

She had packed up what she wanted of her clothes to take with them immediately, and packed up the rest in boxes, figuring a good many of them were not going to fit her any way, at least for the immediate future. Some were already starting feel tight.

Aside from the clothes that would still see immediate use, she had also packed up personal, sentimental items to go with them. Included in those items were her father's engraved hunting knife and her own private arsenal; which Sam had stowed with the much larger Winchester collection in Baby's trunk. In a very generous move, Scott had offered his spare bedroom for storage and Sam or Jo would pick up a few boxes whenever they were in town, or worked a case nearby.

Although her mother knew they were coming out to Nebraska, it was supposedly for a visit. She had no idea that they were coming to stay. Ellen still knew nothing of their engagement or Jo's pregnancy. They were waiting to tell her in person.

It had been Sam's idea to move there, figuring Jo would need her mother close by with the baby coming and all. Jo had raised no argument, thanking him for suggesting it since she was thinking the same thing but had not found a way to ask him about it.

Sam was expecting the trip to take a few days, although if they wanted to, they could drive straight through and arrive sometime in the early hours of tomorrow morning. However, still in hovering mode, Sam wouldn't hear of Jo sitting for that long in the car.

Since Bobby lived about half-way (about a nine-hour drive, with a break for lunch tossed into that time frame) the plan instead was to spend a couple of days visiting there with Bobby. Then it would be another travel day of approximately the same length to reach her mother's place in central Nebraska.

Jo stepped out of the building with her handbag slung over her shoulder. Sam walked over to relieve her of it, asking, "Front or back for this one."

"Front," she replied smiling up at him, "along with my pillow."

"Got it." He replied, leaning down to deposit a quick kiss to her forehead.

He opened her door, dropping her pillow and bag on the passenger seat and then walking around the Impala while she got in. He didn't dare insult her feminism by waiting around to shut the door for her. His hovering was keeping him in enough trouble as it was. She'd already accused him more than once of treating her like an invalid.

He closed his door only seconds after she closed hers, glancing over at her. "Anything else, baby? Aside from swinging by to say good-bye at the tavern?"

"No," She finished fastening her seatbelt, then reached out to touch his hand, "Aside from my mom, I got all I need right here in this car."

Meeting her gaze, Sam flushed, even as his fingers entwined with hers. "Have I told you today how much I love you?" He drew her hand up to his mouth for a quick peck.

Jo withdrew her hand from his and sat back laughing, "About half a dozen times, why?"

"Just because…."

They both knew different—what that 'just because' really meant—both of them felt they'd never told Dean how much he meant to each of them enough and they weren't going to allow that to happen with each other.

"Right back at ya, Winchester," she gave him an adoring smile, the one that made him feel like the luckiest man in the world.

**Three hours later… **On the outskirts of Minneapolis, Jo was dozing, her pillow propped up against the window.

Sam glanced over, watching her sleep; he knew it had been hard for her to say goodbye to her friends in Duluth. He, too, had come to know most of them in these last three months. Jo had hugged them all farewell.

They had both been touched by the parting good-bye gift her co-workers had gone in together to buy. A camera/video recorder making them promise to use it and send updates via email about the wedding and pictures and videos of the baby.

The hardest part had been saying good-bye to Scott. Sam had stood back, his hands in his pockets per usual as Jo cried in Scott's embrace. They could never thank him enough for the help with the Ruby situation. When Sam's intended finally let go of Scott, Jo was flushed with embarrassment, and swiping furiously at the tears streaming down her face. Sam then stepped forward offering his hand to Scott in genuine friendship. "Thanks dude, for everything."

Scott smiled at Sam and then patted Jo's shoulder. "You two need anything, ever, you have my number."

Jo took Sam's hand, squeezing it, the question in her eyes as she looked up at him. Sam understood her silent question. "Go ahead, or I'll never hear the end of it, and I totally agree."

Jo met her dear friend's questioning gaze with a smile. "Sam and I would like to ask you if you'd be willing to be our baby's godfather."

Scott's jaw dropped. "Not that I'm not honored or anything, but isn't there someone else you trust better than me."

Sam spoke, conveying the depth of their conviction on this matter. "There's only two other people we would trust with the baby. Jo's mom, Ellen, and the man I consider my second father, Bobby Singer. But aside from them being older and maybe not around if needed; like Jo and I, they are way too close to hunting. We would be most grateful if we had someone on the "outside" so to speak if the need ever arose."

Scott nodded at Sam before responding to Jo's expectant gaze. This time the tears were in the bartender's eyes. "Of course, Jo. I think of you as another little sister. If you, Sam or baby Winchester ever have need of "Uncle" Scott you let me know."

Sam expressed his gratitude in a way he felt said it best. "Well Scott, since that makes you practically familoy, consider yourself an honorary Winchester." Sam then reached forward to hug the other man.

After Sam let go, Jo hugged Scott again. "Thank you, thank you so much."

She pulled back and Scott touched her cheek, "You just go and be happy—" his gaze flickered to Sam, "Both of you."

**NOW**

Jo stirred in Sam's arms, then her eyes fluttered open. It took a moment to get her bearings. The room was still very new to her. All her things from her growing up had been destroyed when the original roadhouse burned to the ground. But she wasn't worried about getting too comfortable here.

She and Sam were going to be looking for separate place to live soon. While she knew their baby would spend considerable time here as it was her mother's livelihood, Jo had grown up in a tavern and she wasn't intending to let her own child grow up in one. Just like Sam had no intention of his kid growing up on the road in a car or learning to shoot guns before he/she was ten years old.

She sat up and looked back at Sam who himself was on the verge of waking. She frowned as her hand moved across what was to become one of Sam's newest scars. Hunters got hurt all the time; she'd patched up more than her fair share. But given their relationship now, well, Sam getting hurt or even worse terrified her, but someone had do to this job.

The roughly four-inch wound was halfway between his anti-possession tattoo and his shoulder joint. Neatly cleaned and stitched by her own hand. And then the two stitches above his left eyebrow.

**THEN**

**Weekend At Bobby's **

_**Sioux Falls** -10 hours after leaving Duluth- _It was just past sunset when the Impala made the turn off the main road into Singer Salvage Yard. Sam honked the horn as they made their up the long drive.

Bobby was waiting on the porch and met them at the car. "How long are you two stayin?"

"Maybe a couple days," Sam said pulling Jo's overnight bag from behind the driver's seat, "Thought maybe all of tomorrow, leave early the next morning to get to Ellen's place."

Jo had come around the car to stand between the two men as Bobby replied. "That's fine with me, and I don't mind ya sharin' a room and all that as long as you two idjits keep bedroom stuff where it belongs and not in front of me."

Jo's response was lean forward plant a kiss on Bobby's cheek. "Don't be such a grumpy old man." Her arm slid around his waist and she hugged him briefly. "You're just jealous."

"Hey now, little girl," Bobby scoffed. "Don't get too big for yer britches there. I held you when you were no bigger than a bean sprout."

He glanced up at Sam. "Same goes for Sam. I change more'n one of yer diapers, too."

Sam suppressed a grin, "Yessir." He winked at Jo, well their news was going to be quite a surprise.

Bobby continued his cantankerous grumbling, "Well c'mon in you two. Supper's ready and it won't be good cold."

Two hours later, after an amazing dinner of tossed salad, steak, and skillet-fried potatoes with onions—and the revelation of coming weddings and babies-the trio sat in the living room, Jo was dozing off her head against Sam's shoulder.

Bobby looked from the blonde to Sam who held Jo's hand in his. "I'm happy for ya boy. I know you've always wanted this. And at least with Jo she knows what's going on. And she knows how to take care of herself."

"I know, I thought I loved Jess back at Stanford, and of course I'll never forget what we had, but that was nothing compared what I feel for Jo. Bobby, there's something we gotta ask you to do for us."

Bobby was pretty sure he knew where this was leading, "Of course boy, Anything. Since I ain't got no kids of my own, I'll be glad to play at being a grandpa…since you and Dean were the closest I ever got to parenthood."

Sam chuckled, "Grandpa Bobby? Well how far do I have to be from Grandma Ellen when we tell her?"

"Mars, maybe." Bobby snorted, "Nah.. Ellen knows about the two of ya already. And as long as you make her girl happy she'll get over ya telling me afore ya told her. Besides. I ain't never known a woman to worry over a man when there's a baby that needs lovin' involved. That's her grandbaby. You and Jo will be lucky to do any raisin' of it all."

"Thanks for that Bobby, but there's one more thing. If this demon business keeps spreading out of control and something happens to both me and Jo we want our kid out of this life completely. We've made an arrangement with someone. He's to be the baby's godfather. He's in Duluth and his name is Scott Porter."

Bobby looked to Sam, unsure of how to respond. "You sure about letting a civilian raise your kid?"

"Jo's worked with him ever since she went to Duluth and he was like a brother to her. He knows we're hunters, and he's willing to do whatever it takes as far as protecting himself and our kid from demons—including the tattoos.

He's as tall as I am, outweighs me a good 50 lbs—all muscle. He knows the basics of protection and I'm certain if I don't cover it with him, you could answer any questions he might have. He saved my ass with Jo when Ruby turned up and tried to create a rift between us."

"Just cos that bitch of a demon helped ya with my exorcism don't mean you own her anything, Sam. Next time you see Ruby take her out—and I don't mean on no date."

"I would have when she pulled what she did, but she knew she'd overstepped the line and that I still had the demon blade. She disappeared into thin air."

Jo stirred beside him and Sam looked over at Bobby. "Which room are we using?

"Far end one. That way I don't hear moanin' or creakin'."

"Don't think that'll be an issue right now, Bobby. I think Jo's about down for the count."

Sam carefully shifted Jo so he could stand without waking her, then lifted her into his arms. Her arms went round his neck instinctively, and as she snuggled into Sam's shoulder she murmured, "G'night Bobby"

"Goodnight pumpkin. You too. Sam." Bobby was truly glad to see them happy, but he didn't foresee a future of lollipops and rainbows. His heart was heavy that whatever happiness they found would be limited at best by hunting and the army of demons still waiting to be conquered. He had to admit though that they stood a better chance together than either of them with someone not used to this life.

"Good night Bobby," Sam said as his foot hit the first of the stairs.

_**Early in the predawn hours** _there was a knock on the door to the room that Jo and Sam shared. "Sam?!"

Sam got up from the bed, grabbing his tee shirt from the foot of the bed and sliding it over his head, hoping to not wake Jo. He pulled the door ajar and peered out. "Bobby?"

"Hate to bother ya, but thought I'd ask anyway. Just got a call from Rufus. He and Harvey Tucker just stumbled across another vamp nest. This one's pretty close; don't know how we've missed it."

Sam stepped out of the room and closed the door so they didn't disturb Jo. "Where?"

"Just up the road in Brookings. Maybe 45 minutes by interstate to the exit and then depending how far of the main road the place is, maybe an hour at the most one way from here to there."

"How many in the nest."

"Rough estimate-a dozen."

"Is it possible they just relocated in the area"

"Yeah, from what Rufus said, Harv talked to the Pump-n-Go clerk about a couple of mysterious deaths. Nothing else out of line in the area."

Two hunters against a dozen vamps was not good odds even for top notch hunters. There was no second thought in Sam's head. "Give me five minutes to get dressed and to tell Jo where I've gone. I'd offer the Impala but it's kinda full with Jo's stuff. "

"That's alright, I just did a tune up on my truck. I meet you with the truck by the Impala"

Within ten minutes they were in Bobby's truck turning onto ramp of Interstate 29 heading North.

_**Shortly after noon**… _Jo stood on the front stoop at Bobby's in between bouts of pacing back and forth. It had been almost an hour since Bobby called her saying Sam was gonna need some medical attention.

Sam had taken the phone from Bobby to reassure her that he would be fine, just a couple wounds that would need some stitching. She thought he sounded okay until Bobby apparently hit a bump and the hiss coming from Sam was one of sheer pain. Still his breathing as best she could tell was steady and even. Bobby had told her where his first aid supplies were and they were laid out on the kitchen table awaiting the arrival of her patient/fiancé.

Jo started to pace again. She would not be able to relax until she saw for herself. She had to keep in her head that despite how much blood it looked like he'd lost, it would likely look far worse than it actually was.

She was about to go back inside, when she heard a horn in the distance. She glanced toward the entrance of the Salvage Yard to see a rapid moving cloud of dust. She waited until the pickup was almost stopped. By the time Bobby got out and went around to help Sam out she was right there. Through the truck window she began to assess the damage.

The cloth Sam held to the side his temple was soaked and excess blood ran down his arm and his plaid shirt sported a fist sized hole and was drenched in blood. Minor injuries, yeah, under other circumstances. She'd seen worse, but this was the man she was in love with.

She wanted to hug him but it would have to wait until she made sure the bleeding was stopped. Sam flinched when Bobby tried to help him out of the cab of the pick up. Sam whining, "Let go, you're not helping."

Jo glanced from Sam to Bobby, "What else didn't you tell me about.?"

"A dislocated right shoulder."

"It was not the typical combination of injuries she'd have expected. "These injuries are the result of vampires?"

"No…" Bobby replied.

"Yes… " Sam hissed, trying to keep pressure on his left shoulder with the arm and hand attached to his dislocated shoulder.

Someone was clearly lying and Sam's injuries didn't appear life threatening. So Jo took the liberty of being pissed off. With her hands on her hips she glared from one to the other. "Okay what is it then?"

Sam looked kinda embarrassed. "Both actually, Not the result of direct contact with a vamp. He kinda dropped a pile o ceiling timbers from the upper floor of a barn on top of me. The falling timberss got my right shoulder, and caused the cut on my head, and there was some sort of sharp farm tool that I landed on when I went down.. so I have a hole there." He glanced down at the bloodied plaid shirt that had just seen it's last day.

Bobby chuckled. "At least with his hard head ya don't have to worry about a concussion."

She didn't find the chuckle or comment the least bit amusing and ignored it, "What about Harvey and Rufus?"

"They'll be along as soon as they take care of clean up. Said they'd take care of it all since Sam wasn't even expected to show, he took down six of them, and he's the only one what got hurt. They insisted I get him back to you right away."

Pride in her future husband's capabilities overshadowed everything but her concern for the pain he was clearly in. "C'mon lover, let's get you inside."

She moved forward slipping her arm around his waist from the right side, Bobby coming up from behind in case the boy stumbled on the stairs.


	17. Chapter 17

**The Morning After **

**Married**

_Three weeks after Jo and Sam had arrived from Duluth_

As the early morning sun streamed through the windows, Ellen looked around the bar room of her establishment. Thankfully she didn't open for business on Sundays until after noon.

There were unwashed plates and glasses on the tables. Confetti was everywhere. And at one end of the bar an almost empty punch bowl and a cake plate with nothing more than the crumbs on it—all that remained from Jo and Sam's wedding cake.

Her baby girl was married—and having a baby of her own. She really wasn't upset with the kids. Sam was a good, honorable young man. And she didn't for a single second doubt that he loved Jo with everything he had. He didn't open up for many people and but when he did, he did so completely.

Her only real worry was the life they were a part of. She shoved it aside. It wasn't like it was anything she could change—any of it. She was going to be a grandmother, and she had a son-in-law she could be proud of. True, she had understood for a long time that her daughter would be marrying a Winchester. Just not this one.

She loved the boys equally but in many ways she was relieved for she felt Sam truly was the better choice, if there had actually been a choice to make. Dean had once had his place in Jo's heart, but Sam held the bigger one now. And Ellen knew that had she ever really looked, she would have seen that Sam had been in with love Jo as long Dean had been.

The difference was that instead of flirtation and innuendo, Sam had stepped forward and figuratively put his money where his mouth was. Dean giving a flirtatious show with covert looks, raised brows, winks and lip service; where Sam instead had been biding his time and then taking bold honest action where her daughter was concerned.

She also knew that her initial hesitations with the Winchester boys also had to do with their father. Dean with his shoot first, _reveal-nothing-unless-you-have-to attitudes_ far too much like John. But neither of them should have ever been judged by their father's actions. And say what you will, no one, not even Ellen, would ever say that John didn't give his everything for his sons.

Aside from family loyalty, which he had in spades, Sam was nothing like John. At least he didn't just jump in feet first. He took his time; used reason and sensitivity where possible.

He also had one of the kindest hearts –which Ellen suspected he'd gotten from his mother. Sam wore his love for people on his sleeve. More often than not, when possible, giving people the benefit of doubt. Whereas Dean—like their father was suspicious of every one and everything.

But that was neither here nor there. But Dean, bless his soul, was gone and her kids were honeymooning at a Casino about an hour's drive down the road. She, Bobby and even Rufus had chipped in together for two nights as a wedding gift so they didn't spend their wedding night here in a room down the hall from the people they considered family.

She opened up the computer they used for research, looking at the wedding picture of the happy couple on the desktop. They'd gotten an old family friend to take pictures using the camera Scott and their friends in Duluth had given to them. Jo had insisted on sending a picture to Scott last night before they left for the Casino. The simple ceremony and the reception had been held right here.

Bill would have been so proud of their girl. Jo was radiant, lovely in a simple white cocktail style dress, which fit her personality and just barely revealing her baby bump. Sam was wearing the suit he usually wore when posing as FBI, accented by a red rose boutonniere that matched Jo's small bouquet of red roses and baby's breath.

She also liked to think that John, if not fully supporting them, would have at least wished them best of luck—that he'd want his youngest son to find happiness.

Ellen had stood as witness for Jo and Bobby had stood as best man for Sam. And as happy as they knew Sam was, they also knew there was still a gaping empty space beside him that only Dean could have filled.

There wasn't a dry eye in the wedding party, and tears had streamed down Sam's cheeks as he vowed to love Jo until parted by death. Jo's hand had caressed his cheek and she had choked back a sob as she repeated the vows back to him.

Everyone knew happily ever was not only not very likely, it was going to be damn near impossible. But everyone admired their determination to give it their best shot.

**HONEYMOON IN NEBRASKA**

It was late morning when Jo Winchester sat up in the king-sized bed in the luxury suite she was sharing with her husband. Once again she looked over at Sam, marveling again at his well-defined body. She could look at him forever, and that was the current plan.

For once, given the amount of upheaval they'd both encountered over their years in the hunting life, things had gone off without a hitch. Their wedding had been small and simple, with the few people that were closest to them were there to share it.

In their heads they knew it was as perfect as could be expected in the rapid fire way it had been thrown together. In their hearts they felt the glaring absence of their most recent loss.

As she watched him sleep the memories of the previous night flashed through her mind….

_As soon as the door to their suite had closed behind them, Sam had yanked her up against him, seeking the depths of her mouth fiercely. It was like he was a man starving and she was the feast. His hands gripped her shoulders, pushing her backward and in just moments he had Jo trapped against the wall. One hand cupping her breast as his mouth claimed hers in a passionate kiss._

_Moving his body even closer, leaving little space between them he nuzzled her throat, "Do you know what you do to me Jo? How badly I've wanted to do this from the moment you set foot in my sight wearing that dress this afternoon?" _

_His hand moved downward, sliding his hand beneath the hem of the dress , then moving upward to feel the lacey undergarment at his fingertips. In response, Jo wriggled between him and the wall, offering no protest whatsoever, her body arching in invitation. _

_He accepted it as he slid his long fingers beneath the lace and sought the deliciously welcoming heat between her legs. He found wet proof of her mutual desires as he slid two fingers inside her and Jo's head fell back as Sam suckled the skin of her throat, leaving physical proof of his passion for her. _

_Jo moaned and arched further into the touch of Sam's thrusting, probing fingers. When he began to stroke them into her with a steadily increasing rhythm, she rocked forward against his hand, as he murmured encouragingly against her mouth."That's it Jo, Let it take you,. Come for me baby." _

_"Sam," His name fell from her lips again and again as the waves of climax washed over her in a pounding rush, her breathing fast as the grasping, clutching spasms of her orgasm clenched around Sam's fingers._

Jo's thoughts were brought back to the present as her husband sat up behind her, reaching out and drawing her back toward him.

"Good morning, wife." Sam murmured as he began to rain feathery kisses along the line from behind her left ear down her neck to her shoulder.

Once again, sensual sensation shot straight to Jo's core and a fresh wave of arousal slipped from her folds. She didn't hold back what she felt for her husband, her voice trembling with her own desire.

"I love you."

It was all the invitation Sam needed as he quickly maneuvered them until her body was beneath him. His hands once again moved up and down her body in a tender, heated caress. Unaware of anything but the but embers of passion that he knew would soon swell to the raging, burning desire he always felt for her again.

His fingers moved up to tangle in the silken strands of her hair. Next his hands moved across her breasts, then his fingers exploring her sweet depths, his tongue doing its familiar dance of passion with hers…

A short while later Sam stretched lazily, still lying naked on the bed just watching as Jo dressed. If someone told him he was going to be blind and allowed only one picture to remember for the rest of his life, it would be the vision of his wife, the look on her face in the throes of climax as he made her come undone.


	18. Chapter 18

**Trouble in Paradise**

It was late morning before Jo had finally managed to persuade Sam to get out of bed and enjoy their surroundings outside of their suite. Dressed casually they headed downstairs for a late morning breakfast at the Casino's buffet. After breakfast they hit the slot machines for a while and after Jo won a modest sum, they spent a couple of hours swimming, Sam's finely muscled body turning more than a few heads around the pool. Then they headed back upstairs to get ready for dinner …

Jo was in the shower. Sam slipped in behind her putting his hands at her waist and pulling her back against him as the water flowed over their bodies. His breath was warm against her neck as he nuzzled her throat. His hands moved to caress her shoulders before turning her to face him.

Words weren't necessary as their gazes locked for a few moments and then his mouth covered hers as she leaned back against the shower wall. Water flowed over both of them, glistening off wet skin. His tongue delved into her mouth as his hands began a heated exploration of her body…

* * *

><p>Two hours later found them dining, not at the buffet, but at the hotel's five-star restaurant. Sam again dressed in his suit, although little more casual and sexy minus the tie with his top button undone, his suit jacket also open. Jo was wearing another cocktail style dress, this time a sexy little black one. Despite his initial protests, Jo had managed to get Sam out on the small dance floor a couple of times.<p>

She didn't ask anything fancy of him. Her tall, _sexier-than-all-hell_ hunter husband, killer of demons and things that go bump in the night, while not the worst dancer she'd ever seen was most definitely out of his comfort zone on a dance floor. Their dancing for the most part consisted of Sam holding her close to him and swaying to the music.

The newlyweds drew more than a few appreciative stares; for it was clear that the handsome couple was lost in love and each other. It was after a third trip to the dance floor that Jo excused herself to go for a bathroom break.

On her way back the trouble started. Actually, it was more like a wall of trouble, in the form of a familiar face and a couple of his friends. A wall of drunk combined with raging testosterone. She could have gone cheerfully the rest of her life without seeing any one of them. At one point or another all three of them at different times had hit on her at Harvelle's before she'd moved away to Duluth, but the one in the middle -Tom Jenkins -she'd actually been stupid enough to sleep with.

Jo was hoping they didn't recognize her, but fate wasn't that kind. She cringed when Tom slurred, "Well, well—what have we here? Jo Harvelle… don't you look fine. Last I heard you was livin' in Duluth."

The innuendo in his voice made her skin crawl, but she tried to brush it off, to try and get back inside to the safety of Sam's arms. While she would fearlessly confront the supernatural, these guys were human, drunk and stupid.

She knew Tom's predatory look intimately, "Tom, would you get out of my way, please?"

Instead of doing as she'd asked, Tom stepped closer. "I don't think so; would you look at that fancy dress?" He skimmed his hand up and down one of Jo's arms. "You never looked this good when we was going out."

"Tom, move please," Jo pleaded again.

"I don't think so", Tom said slithering closer like the snake he was. "Damn you smell nice too!" His foul breath, reeking of alcohol was hot against her skin, his fingers digging into her arms as he leaned forward intent on kissing her. Jo tried to twist free of him only to get one arm twisted behind her back. "Think you're too good for me slut?"

"HEY!" the shout was more of a furious snarl. "Let her go!"

Tom glared back over his shoulder at the new voice. "How about you mind your own business?"

"Unless you have a death wish" Sam moved closer. "I suggest you take your hands off MY WIFE!"

The other two men turned, sizing up Sam and his accompanying fury and decided they wanted no part of this anymore, abandoning Tom as they fled down the corridor.

Tom backed off slightly, turning to look at Sam as his eyes slid to solid black. "What's the matter Winchester? Don't you want to share? She's a pretty little bitch that's for sure."

Sam found himself shoved back at one wall unable to move and then Tom with a flick of his hand tossed Jo backward where she impacted the opposite wall solidly. Given that it was now common knowledge in demon circles that after Lilith drug Dean to Hell she had discovered that hurting Sam with demonic powers was not possible and given that the unborn Winchester had potential significance to Lucifer's plans, well seriously hurting Jo right now wasn't really an option either so the demon decided to cut his losses, "You two are no fun."

Black smoke poured from Tom's mouth and then his body collapsed to the floor. Now free, Sam moved quickly to Jo, kneeling down beside her, taking hold of her hand. "Baby, are you okay?"

Tears were streaming down her cheeks, trembling with fear, confusion and pain in her eyes. Her breathing was coming in shallow gasps, and she couldn't manage to inhale deeply. She shook her head negatively. "Can't breathe."

Sam knew in an instant what was wrong and he began talking her through it. She was hyperventilating. "Jo come on baby, look at me, you have to relax, you're trying too hard."

He'd had the wind knocked out of him several times himself. It hurt like hell and until the muscles in her diaphragm relaxed again she wouldn't be able to take a deep breath. Her mind was trying to fix it by over breathing because it was downright scary. He remembered it feeling like being suffocated.

He forced himself to stay calm, it wouldn't help her for him to panic. "Look at my face, baby—breathe with me, Jo, you have to slow it down or you're gonna pass out."

She nodded, grasping his hand more tightly; she locked her gaze on his, just his presence making her feel better. "Say it with me" Sam encouraged. "In—hold it a second and then, Out,"

A couple of cycles and her hand began relax in his, her eyes never leaving his face. "That's it." Sam encouraged, increasing the spacing between the breaths. Together they continued the chant. "In." Hold. "Out."

"Now try to breathe in deeper.."

Jo drew in the breath and then flinched in pain as the muscles finally released from the spasm and her lungs filled in a rush. "Oh fuck." She hissed, then realized the tightness that gripped her whole upper body was fading. The tightness in her shoulders was gone. And she drew in another deep breath. This one didn't hurt, there was an ache but no genuine pain.

She was still looking up at Sam. "Get me up."

Now that he was satisfied she wasn't going to die from lack of oxygen, Sam let his hovering mode fly full force. "Do you hurt anywhere else?"

"All over." She managed, still dragging in deep breaths as often as she could.

That was all Sam needed to hear, he knew how hard she'd impacted that wall. He scooped her up in his arms and headed for the door.

"Sam Winchester," she gasped, "what the hell are you doing?"

"Taking you to the hospital."

* * *

><p>Sam was still so mad he could spit nails. Bobby and Ellen were on their way, He and Jo should be in a bed making love instead of her lying in the Emergency Room. They had been reassured by the doctor that the pregnancy should not be impacted in any way.<p>

The real concern at the moment was the head injury, Jo had thrown up a couple of times since they'd arrived but they didn't know whether the symptom was a result of the pregnancy, or the impact to her head. However, the doctor was fairly certain that it was nothing more than a light concussion since Jo had never lost consciousness, but he recommended she stay overnight just in case, especially since any tests they would normally have done might pose a risk to the baby at this stage of the pregnancy.

The doctor had left the choice to them, and although Sam had been willing for Jo's benefit, Jo had refused-any risk to their unborn child was more than she was willing to take. And since she was not taking the tests, Jo couldn't take anything that would ease her pain either, since they could mask signs of complications to the head trauma.

Jo had also asked for an ultrasound, even though the doctor had assured her it wasn't necessary. Jo still wanted to be assured the baby was alright. Sam had taken the doctor aside, telling him if it wasn't an imposition to do the ultrasound, to go ahead and do it and he would gladly pay whatever it cost if it put his wife's mind (and his own) at ease.

The doctor agreed, and ordered the ultrasound, and Sam was relieved that Jo was going to be alright and there was no reason to think anything was amiss with baby. But he shuddered to think what might have happened if he had not felt she'd been taking too long and gone looking for her. It played like a bad movie over and over in his head.

When he'd returned the room, Jo was curled up on her side, having dozed off peacefully. He stood at her bedside, his hand reaching out to stroke her hair and then sliding down her arm. Then his fingers skimming gently across the bruises just starting form on her upper arms and he forced away the fury he felt at what the demon had done to her.

Sam looked up when the door to the room opened, and a nurse came in. "Mr. Winchester, they're sending in a portable ultrasound in a few minutes. Her mother and a Mr. Singer are here out in the waiting room. I see she's finally resting some, best thing for her."

He went out to face Ellen, his mother-in-law coming forward to hug him, "How is she Sam?"

"She's doing okay; she's drifted off to sleep. The doctor says everything's okay, but since Jo is so worried about the baby he's ordered an ultrasound to put her mind at ease."

Bobby spoke up, "What the hell happened, Sam?"

"She went to the bathroom, and when she didn't come back right away, I went looking for her. Some dude named Tom Jenkins was the demon's vessel. The demon was clearly doing a fine job at emulation of this Tom person. It didn't occur to Jo that this Tom was not the real thing until he tossed her against the wall hard enough to knock the wind out of her. She was scared and in pain, so I worked to get her breathing normally again, then I picked her up and got the hell out. I brought her straight here. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for the demon. His attitude was almost like boredom, he actually made the comment that we were 'no fun'."

"What the hell-?" Bobby exclaimed, thoroughly confused at such odd demon behavior.

A nurse entered, "Mr. Winchester? They're ready for the ultrasound and your wife is asking for you."

Sam looked at his mother-in-law, "Did you want to come in with us?"

Ellen smiled at Sam, she knew what he going to see and this moment should belong to them alone. "I'll see her after. You go on."

Sam headed back to his wife's hospital room.

* * *

><p>Jo looked up, seeing her husband in the doorway, extending her for him to come to her. "C'mon, Sammy, come see the baby."<p>

Her excitement and enthusiasm were contagious. Sam moved forward taking the hand she offered. The was tech preparing his wife for the ultrasound. The tech squeezed the clear gel onto Jo's belly and she squeezed Sam's hand in anticipation.

The tech flipped on the monitor. The tech placed the transducer on her belly sliding it through the gel across Jo's lower abdomen and a black and white picture came on the screen, and the tech turned the monitor screen to an angle until all three of them could see it. He pointed out the various organs that were showing on the screen, pointing out the dark area that was my uterus. "At this point the baby is mostly developed; it's just a matter of letting the baby grow until term."

Jo glanced away from the screen to Sam who was utterly fascinated as the technician pointed out the baby's head, the body, arm and legs. He clicked a button to enlarge the image, indicating a fluttering movement in the baby. "That's the heart beating."

When Sam began asking questions Jo stopped watching the monitor altogether and simply watched Sam's face instead as he took it all in, watching the beauty of her husband as he fell even more deeply love with child he saw on the monitor. He didn't have to say it. Jo could see it in his eyes and she had never loved him more.

"Can you tell yet if its a boy or girl?" Sam asked, taking his eyes from the screen at last to look at the tech, who had paused the enlarged image and put the transducer away.

"It's still a bit too soon to tell on an ultrasound, the fetus is simply too small yet to tell." the tech replied, handing me paper towels to clean up the gel on my belly.

Sam seemed a little disappointed, but Jo knew how to bring the smile back to his face. "Can we hear the heartbeat now?"

He played back the heartbeat that had been recording with the volume turned down while he'd done the examination of the baby and a fast clip-clopping sound like a galloping horse could be heard. It was rapid and strong, just like it had been the first time she'd heard it. The sound filled the room and it was all too real.

After a minute or so the tech turned off the monitor and the image and the heartbeat were gone. In moments so was he; leaving Sam and Jo to a private moment. The tech hadn't had to say anything else. Sam and Jo both knew that their baby was doing well.

As soon as the door closed behind the tech Sam let his gaze go from the now dark and silent monitor to his wife's exposed belly. He raised his awestruck gaze back to Jo's, sitting down beside her on the bed. Sam reached out tucking a stray strand behind her ear before he leaned in to brush his lips across hers, then as he leaned his forehead against hers, whispering into the silence, "I love you, so, so much," his hand moved to her belly. "Both of you."

Jo's hands came up to cup his face, meeting his gaze, "And I love you."

* * *

><p>It was close to midnight … After Jo had a short visit with her mother, during which Bobby and Sam went to retrieve all their belongings from the hotel. Jo and Sam were curled together on the hospital bed, Sam's hand as always laying protectively over her belly where their child was safe and healthy. After the exhausting events of the evening both mother and father were sleeping soundly.<p> 


	19. Chapter 19

**RESURRECTION**

_**Sioux Falls, South Dakota** _

It was late afternoon.

His green eyes stared up at the familiar sign above the entrance. A sign he'd never thought to see again—at least not until two days ago.

Sitting there in the car he'd stolen, he drew in a deep breath. It wasn't the best car in the world. but it had literally been his only option. He'd had to coax cooperation and baby it all the away to Sioux Falls, and he'd had to keep to small towns and back roads the car being stolen and all that.

He put his foot lightly on the accelerator again and drove slowly into Singer Salvage, all the way up to the old house that Bobby called he climbed out of the crappy car and headed toward the door.

To say Dean Winchester was apprehensive would be an understatement. He'd exhausted all of the phone numbers he could remember for Sam. He'd been threatened once and then hung up on by Bobby. **_Twice._**

Still he raised his hand to knock on the door. When the door opened Dean found himself staring into the stunned gaze of one Bobby Singer. He could think of no other more appropriate word for this situation.

"Surprise." The word was uttered in his own typically wise-ass fashion.

Bobby simply stared in shock. The words when they came were hesitant. "I don't…" the words dying and further speech failing him.

"Me neither," Dean agreed, as he stepped across the threshold. "but here I am."

Bobby lunged at him with a silver knife.

Dean leapt past him, ending up in the kitchen with a kitchen chair between them. "Bobby, it's me."

"My ass!" Bobby growled, his voice taking a menacing stance.

Dean raised a hand defensively, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. . . Your name is Robert Steven Singer; you became a hunter after your wife got possessed. You're about the closest thing I have to a father." He pauses, an understated desperation in his voice. "Bobby, it's me."

Bobby stared at him intently, and then lowered the knife, moving forward. Putting a hand up to Dean's shoulder, not believing that flesh and blood was right in front of him. After a moment's pause, he knocked the chair out of his way and his raised the knife at Dean again.

"I'm not a shape-shifter." Dean insisted as he disarmed Bobby, by twisting the older man's arm behind his back and then shoved him away.

Bobby stubbornly clung to his disbelief, "Then you're a revenant."

"If I was either would I be able to do this with a silver knife" He took the blade he'd just taken from Bobby and made a slice into his arm just above the elbow, so used to this drill he didn't even flinch as bright red blood flowed from the self-inflicted wound.

Astonishment washed over Bobby's face, "Dean?"he questioned as he stepped non-threateningly toward the younger hunter.

"That's what I been trying to tell ya,"

Bobby took the final steps forward dragging Dean into a vicious hug, choking on a strangled sob, while Dean returned the embrace fully.

Bobby pulled back from the hug, his shaky voice still disbelieving. "It's good to see ya, boy."

Dean squeezed Bobby's shoulder in return, "Yeah, you too."

"What? How did ya bust out?"

"I don't know, I just woke up in a pine box…." he was startled by the splash of Holy water in his face. "I'm not a demon either, ya know."

"Sorry," Bobby shrugged, without shame, "can't be too careful."

After Bobby handed Dean a dishtowel to wipe his face, the conversation continued after entering Bobby's living room. "That don't make a lick of sense…"

"You're preachin' to the choir."

"Dean your chest was ribbons your insides were slop. And you've been buried for months. Even if you could slip out of hell and back into your meat suit, "

Dean nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I should look like a Thriller movie reject."

"What do you remember?"

"Not much I remember being a hell hound's chew toy, and then lights out and I came to about six feet under."

Dean moved on to a more important topic, at least to him. "I tried to call Sam, none of the numbers I know are working."

Bobby was quick with reassurance. "It's okay. He's alive. Got his self one of them new-fangled smart phones, He's been along on a few hunts with me and Rufus. We took out a nest of vamps about month after you—well you know."

Dean breathed a relieved sigh as Bobby continued. "He was amazing. He took out as many as Rufus and I put together. We were covered in blood from head to toe and he just had a few splashes. He's also done a couple of salt and burns with Rufus and the three of us had a run in with demons a couple of months back."

Embarrassment flushed Bobby's face. "God, I hate to admit this to anyone, 'specially one of you boys, but Sam will just tell you anyway. Sam had to take care of a demon that possessed me. He really saved my hide."

Bobby changed the topic away from that particular hunt rapidly."Then we took out another nest of vampires just a little over a month ago in Brookings. He's fine now, but Sam got hurt. He tangled with a falling pile of ceiling timbers. A few stitches and a dislocated shoulder. Last time I saw him was about three weeks ago. He's out in Nebraska and l got his new number. I'll come along with you in case he needs some convincing."

"It works for me." Dean replied, glad to hear his brother was okay, but he couldn't help thinking there was something more Bobby wasn't saying. He seemed a little more eager than Dean remembered.

But there was a more important question on his mind at the moment. He looked Bobby directly in the eye. "Since you brought up those salt and burns, why didn't you bury me?"

Bobby shrugged, "I wanted to salt and burn your body—you know, the usual drill—but Sam wouldn't hear of it."

"Glad he won that one. "

"He said you'd need your body when he got you back somehow."

"Aw! Damn it, Sammy!" Dean swore out loud to his absent brother, and began pacing back and forth along the width of the window.

"What?" Bobby asked confusion on his face.

"He got me home all right," Dean paused in his pacing, his hand running up and down the back of his neck, like he always did when he was upset. "but whatever he did it was bad mojo."

"What makes you so sure? "

"You shoulda seen the gravesite, Bobby. The place looked like it had been hit by a nuke or something—trees knocked down all around me like the grave was the center of the blast."

Even as he turned to the window, taking in the precious sunshine outside Dean continued his story. "I picked my way through the trees, and started looking for a road to anywhere. It took a couple of hours before I finally found this little gas stop. It was closed so I busted in to get something to eat and drink."

"I opened the cash drawer and took the small amount of money in the till—less than fifty dollars, and it took damn near all of it get here. Anyway, then it got weird. The TV turned on by itself. I turned it back off, then the radio came on and the TV again. I grabbed salt and did the windows and door. It was a shrill painful tone, very loud, it got louder and louder and suddenly all the windows shattered. Whatever it was blew past me.

Dean turned back to face Bobby."Then I looked back outside to see the piece of crap car that I came here in. I hotwired it. Now, here I am." meeting the older hunter's gaze eye to eye. "And then there's this." Dean raised his sleeve.

Bobby gasped at the raised red handprint on Dean's shoulder. "What the hell?"

"It's like a demon pulled me out… or rode me out."

"But why?"

"To keep up their end of the bargain."

"You think Sam made a deal?"

"'It's what I woulda done."

'Yeah, you mean what you've already done."

"Let's not argue over why you think my deal was a bad idea, it's over and I'm back."

Bobby gave Dean his standard put upon look. "You boys are gonna be the death of me." He moved past Dean to the pile of phones that lined the wall, "Let me call Sam and tell him I'm coming."

When Bobby called Sam's phone it had gone straight to voice mail. So Bobby just simply left a message for Sam that something had come up and he needed to discuss it in person, and for Sam to expect him sometime tomorrow. It was still hot out, and the air conditioner in his pickup didn't work worth squat and was likely to overheat as well. So he managed to persuade Dean to get some rest until dark, it would be cooler, less traffic and they could still be there in the morning.

Approximately 12 hours after departing from Bobby's they arrived at Harvelle's Roadhouse in Nebraska.


	20. Chapter 20

**Roadhouse Reunion**

Sam kissed Jo goodbye and watched as she and Ellen departed. She had a prenatal appointment this morning and he'd planned to go with her but given the odd voice mail he'd received last night from Bobby, he and Jo both felt he should stay put.

He wondered what could be so important it required face to face. If it was urgent why hadn't Bobby told him what was going on.

So instead of going with his wife, Ellen was going instead. After the incident at the Casino he wasn't letting Jo go off anywhere alone. He'd offered to get the roadhouse ready for lunch in Ellen's place while he waited for Bobby to arrive.

* * *

><p>It was mid-morning when Bobby parked the battered pickup in the shade, and then they got out and heading for the entrance. Sam was expecting him so the door was unlocked, so he and Dean entered the road house. Bobby started calling out for Sam. They headed over toward the bar.<p>

Sam called back from the kitchen, "Be right out, Bob—," the name dying on his lips as he came through the swinging double doors with a drying cloth in his wet hands and almost face to face with his brother.

Sam stopped dead in his tracks, Disbelief washing across his face, his jaw dropping as the towel he'd been holding fell to the floor,

Dean smiled, "Hello Sammy."

Casting a questioning glance toward Bobby before grabbing for the silver knife he kept on himself at all times, the young man lunged at Dean. Shoving the man wearing his dead brother's face back into the bar, and sending a stack of bar glasses tumbling to the floor with a tinkling crash, Sam snarled, "Who are you?"

"Like you didn't do this?" Dean's tone was just as accusing. He was not striking back at Sam, instead just trying to keep his brother at bay long enough convince him of the truth and not to get shot or stabbed in the process.

"Do what?" Sam growled, attempting once again to drive the knife's blade into Dean.

At the same time, Bobby rushed forward, only an adrenaline rush allowing him to hold a struggling Sam back from doing his newly resurrected brother irreversible damage. "It's really him, Sam. I've been through this already, it's really him."

"But…but, " Sam stammered; his mind in confusion, this was impossible-_but why would Bobby lie?_

Sam's heart was racing and his chest was heaving as he struggled to breathe, afraid to even dare to hope what he was seeing was real. The question was tenacious, at best. "Dean?"

Then Dean flashed his famous cocky Winchester grin, "I look fantastic, huh?"

The killing fury faded from Sam into stunned disbelief as the truth finally registered. No one but Dean would have the guts to attempt that level of arrogance in a situation like this. The blade clattered to the floor.

He wasn't even aware of moving forward, but in mere moments Sam was clinging to Dean in an embrace of sheer desperation. He was almost too terrified to let go in case his brother disappeared on him again.

Dean didn't object, hugging his baby brother in a near death grip. Both brothers were fighting to contain their tears when they broke the hug. Beside them, Bobby's eyes were near brimming too.

Now that the chick flick formalities were over Dean pushed his brother back at arm's length, and got straight to the point, fury at what he thought his brother had done right beneath the surface. "So tell me what'd it cost?"

"What?" Sam's expression was clueless.

"To bring me back. What did it cost? Just your soul? Or something worse?"

Any lingering doubts Sam might have about whether or not this was the real Dean faded in the face of the present interrogation. His expression as he met Dean's gaze was incredulous. "You think I made a deal?"

Bobby's gaze flickered from Dean's face to Sam's. "That's exactly what we think."

"Well I didn't," Sam glared at Bobby, "and you should know better, I've been hunting with you, Bobby—and with Rufus, I exorcised that demon that possessed you what was it—about two months ago? Don't you think I'd say something if I'd made any progress on that front? And you know what's happened in my life since then. Why would I sell my soul now?"

Bobby looked away, not meeting Sam's gaze, suddenly realizing it was a possibility Dean was seriously barking up the wrong tree, because he knew Sam had a very valid point.

Dean took no notice of the significance of Sam's last question, "What does hunting with Bobby have to with this Sammy? Don't you lie to me?"

Sam protested, "I'm not lying…"

Grabbing fistfuls of his brother's shirt Dean got right up in Sam's face. "So what? Now I'm off the hook, and you're on, is that it? Your some demon's bitch boy? That's not how I wanted to be saved."

There was a desperate kind of sadness on Sam's face—deep in his eyes. "I wish I had done it."

Dean still ignored it, pressing on insistently, presuming that there was no possibility that his assumption was wrong. "There's no other way this could have gone down. Now tell the truth!"

It took some effort, given the level of Dean's fury, but Sam finally pried Dean's hands from his shirt and pushed him back. His sorrow was palatable.

"I tried everything, that's the truth." Sam's eyes started to brim with fresh tears, "I even tried to open the damn devils gate-nobody would deal. You were rotting in hell for months—for months, Dean, and I couldn't stop it. I'm sorry," his voice breaking on the near sob, "It wasn't me, I'm so sorry."

It was the break in Sam's voice, the pain of his failure that finally convinced Dean his brother wasn't lying to him. "It's okay Sammy, you don't have to apologize I believe you."

Dean reached out drawing his brother into a relieved hug, each of brothers once again clinging desperately to the other one.

Equally convinced, Bobby said it best. "While I'm really glad that Sam's soul remains intact, Well, it certainly does beg the question…"

Dean pulled back from the hug to look from his brother's face to Bobby's, "If not Sam, who or what pulled me out?"

None of them had a ready answer to the question.

When Dean glanced at his brother again he finally noticed for the first time that there was something different about Sam; an air of contentment, which he couldn't put his finger on.

**_Whatever_**—he'd figure it out later. He then glanced at Bobby. "I don't know about either one of you, but I could sure use a beer right now."

In now familiar territory, without hesitation Sam went behind the bar, stepping around the broken glass, reaching into the upright cooler and pulling out three longneck bottles. He passed two of them across the counter, then twisting the cap off the third one and taking a swallow.

He nearly choked on his beer when Dean asked, "So what case are you working here in Nebraska?"

Sam looked over at Bobby, now seriously ticked off and understanding now why this confrontation had even happened.

"Dude," he glared at Bobby, "Seriously? You didn't tell him?"

"First off there, boy, show some respect I ain't no damn dude." Bobby warned, then shrugged it all off noncommittally, "Secondly, didn't think it was my place. Besides, there were more important issues at hand."

Sam now glowered at Bobby. "Yeah, Like me so NOT selling my soul. Geez, Bobby. Given what you know about me that he doesn't, did it ever occur to you that information like that might have avoided this whole discussion?"

Bobby protested, "But I did tell him you were here."

It was Dean's turn at confusion, interrupting Bobby and Sam bickering like he wasn't even there. "Okay guys, tell me what?"

"I'm not on a case." Sam answered brother, "I"m living here now, Dean. In Nebraska."

The words were said with no regrets and without apology, then Sam brought his beer back up to his mouth-right at eye level to Dean, taking note of exactly when Dean spotted the gold band on his left hand.

Dean's eyes went wide, almost dropping his own beer bottle and he then looked with shock from Sam to Bobby, whom he let have it with both barrels—figuratively speaking of course. "You let him run off and GET MARRIED?

"I didn't let him run off and do anything, you damn idjit. And I ain't nobody's freakin' nursemaid. It's his life, Dean. It's time you gave him credit for being a capable adult.

"She gave him peace and a reason to go on when you went to hell. Aside from missing you, just like the rest of us have, I've never seen him more content with his life."

"Guys, I'm right here and I can speak for myself." Sam interrupted.

"I'm waitin', sunshine," Dean replied. "Who is the paragon that got you on her hook? Sam, you of all people should know better. You know you're just gonna get the poor girl killed. Seriously Sammy, I've only been gone for a few months. You ain't even had time get know her properly."

"I've known her just as long as you have, Jerk."

Dean raised the bottle to his mouth as he spoke. "Yeah right, don't recall any girls you hung out with except…. " A thought hit his mind as he took another swallow and he nearly choked on his beer. "Please tell me you didn't marry that bitch of a demon."

Bobby should have felt ashamed for not telling Dean everything to begin with. It was clear Sam was going to run with this for a bit for payback before dropping the true bombshell on Dean.

The bombshell. _Yeah that_. That was exactly why Bobby had not revealed the information. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of Dean's reaction when that bomb exploded in everyone's face. Still the coming explosion was poised to be of great entertainment value.

"What if I did Dean?" Sam asked, trying to keep a straight face. He was glad to see his brother back, even happy to deal with his stupid jumping to the wrong conclusion about him and his intentions again. But it would be wrong for him not to react as he always had, and this time he was going to return the attitude, prolong the reveal for just a few more minutes.

There was a crunch of tires and a honking horn outside. Sam's gaze flew to the window, "They're back. "

He dropped his beer back on the counter and headed for the door the words tossed back over his shoulder. "Wait here."

Dean watched the door close behind Sammy and looked back to Bobby. "Please tell me Sam isn't going to walk back through that door with Ruby."

"For the love of God, Dean! Are ya that dense? Sam's messing with ya for the selling his soul business we just put him through. Can't ya take the hints, put them together and come to the correct conclusion?"

"What do you mean Bobby?"

"Who the hell do you know that lives here, in Nebraska?"

The list wasn't too long, a few local hunters. Ash was dead, Ellen, of course and before moving away to Duluth, Jo.

Dean stood up and moved to the window to look out, praying his intuition was wrong.

Outside, he saw Sam hugging his wife, the blond hair so familiar, the sunlight glinting off the wedding ring she wore. Then their positions shifted and he could see her face.

Then he couldn't have moved one step further if he'd wanted to. Shock held him motionless.

Jo. **_His Jo. _**

He could read the look of sheer adoration she was giving Sammy. His brother was wearing the same sappy chick flick look, and it was clear they were discussing something of a serious nature. Probably letting her know he was alive.

Nope, she hadn't even looked in the direction of the door. Instead she pulled what looked to be a photo out of her purse, handing it to Sam.

His brother smiled broadly before letting his hand drop enough to caress the slight swell of her abdomen, then brushed a tender kiss to her forehead.

He then took a closer look at where Sam's hand now rested. Although not intimately Dean knew every curve of Jo's body. He had spent many hours watching her move and had committed every delicious curve to memory, so even the slight difference was impossible for him to miss.

It wasn't a very big bump and he did not know a lot about pregnancy but it was very clear that Jo was pregnant and she was married to his brother.

**_Son of a bitch. _**


	21. Chapter 21

**DESTINY**

_I've never been the kind to ever let my feelings show  
>And I thought that bein' strong meant never losin' your self-control<br>But I'm just drunk enough to let go of my pain  
>To hell with my pride, let it fall like rain<br>From my eyes  
>Tonight I wanna cry<em>

_**excerpt Tonight I Wanna Cry, artist, Keith Urban** _

* * *

><p>It was simply too much to process in the few seconds he'd had with this revelation.<p>

The levels of betrayal Dean felt at this specific moment were tempered only by the knowledge that there was no way either of them had ever expected him to return from the dead. They were the two people he loved most in this world. And according to Bobby she was the reason Sam wore a smile at all—and a wedding ring. He wasn't even going to attempt to comprehend that his brother was going to be father. At least not yet.

_They were coming inside. _

The lump rose in his throat. He turned to face the older hunter behind standing him. "You should have given me more warning Bobby. I can't face all of them right now. I need to get a handle on this. Give me your keys and point me to the back door."

'I'm so sorry, Dean," Bobby apologized sincerely, pulling the keys to his battered pickup from his pocket. Realizing that not only had he not been fair to Dean about Sam being married, that same information being withheld had not been fair to Sam either.

Bobby also knew Dean was busted broke. He reached into his pocket for his wallet and pulled two hundred dollars out and handed it to Dean along with his keys. "Through the kitchen, boy."

Dean didn't argue about the money, he accepted both the keys and the cash, Bobby knew he was good for the money eventually and he was gone by the time the words left Bobby's mouth.

As Sam, Jo, and Ellen came through the front door Dean was already out the back way and sprinting for Bobby's truck.

"You're not going to believe this," Sam was saying excitedly, glancing around the room to see only Bobby, not a trace of his brother. He met Bobby's gaze. "Bobby? Where is he?"

"Where's who?" Jo and Ellen said together.

"Dean's back." Sam replied, a very happy grin on his face. Both women looked at Sam like he'd grown two heads or something. "Tell 'em Bobby."

"Yeah, he's back, showed up at my place late yesterday. I didn't wanna say anything on the phone. Dean was worried that Sam might've made a deal or something."

"Yeah, Dean accused me of selling my soul to get him back," added Sam

Jo looked horrified at the thought. Not a one of them thought she was thinking she didn't want Dean to be alive. But the thought of losing her Sammy was not the way she'd want it done.

Ellen asked the next most practical question. "Are you sure it's Dean, Bobby?"

"I done all the tests, he passed 'em all. And Sam can tell you any doubts were put aside when he was tearin' into his brother about how he got back."

Jo was the one to ask the question, "Where is he?"

"He took off." Bobby stated. "Fraid that might be my fault. He was in no way expecting what he saw when he looked out that window just now. I should've told him. Instead we came here with him not knowing anything about the two of you being hitched." Bobby looked pointedly at Jo. "I think he might have thought there was a chance, ya know. He kind of got blind-sided and you two have to admit that your relationship really happened fast and caught all of us off guard.

Jo cast a sideways glance at her husband just in time catch the pained expression on Sam's face. For the first time he had to consider what Dean's reappearance might mean to their future together.

_**What if getting his brother back meant losing Jo?**_

* * *

><p><em>Three hours later, at The same Casinohotel where Sam and Jo had spent their honeymoon just a few weeks ago. .. _

"All-in" Dean said, pushing his remaining chips to the center of the table. The river thus far consisted of an ace, two kings, and a four.

He looked at the very attractive woman sitting to his left, whom he'd had a chance to examine thoroughly over the course of the game, for the last two hours at the very least; watching her face and body language for her tells, any indications that might give away whether or not her actions were genuine or bluffs. Gratitude was an understatement at the very least, that she was not blond. Instead she had a silky curtain of long brownish-black hair.

"Call," was the woman's confident response as she tossed an equal handful of chips into the pot.

The next two players folded.

The dealer turned the final card, a second ace, and Dean held his breath praying his four Kings would hold up, hoping against sinking hope that the woman wasn't holding pocket aces. It was just the two of them now, and since he was all in there was no further betting.

The dealer looked at Dean, "Your cards, sir."

Dean lay down his pocket Kings, praying that maybe all she had would be a full house, she had to have something the way she'd been betting.

The dealer announced the obvious, "Four of a Kind, Kings," then turned his gaze to the woman, "Miss? your cards please. "

Dean cringed as the dreaded pocket aces were flipped face up on the table. Could he have expected anything less given the kind of day he was having?

"Four of Kind, Aces." said the dealer, once again stating the obvious. "Aces win."

Despite Dean's disappointment at losing his entire stake today, he smiled at the extremely attractive woman as he rose, extending his hand to her, taking her hand in his ,"Ma'am, its been quite a pleasure to lose to such a lovely lady." He was definitely less than sober as he raised her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it

"Call me Destiny," she said batting her big brown eyes flirtatiously, her gaze scanning his six-foot frame, her raised brow and slight nod indicated she like what she saw.

"The name's Dean, darlin'," the hunter replied smoothly with a seductive wink, reading the look of invitation in her eyes just as accurately as he'd read her body language throughout the game, and the coy glances she'd shot him when no one but him was looking.

Destiny looked back at the dealer with a smile, pushing the chips remaining in front of her into the pile at the middle of the table. She directed the dealer, "If you could see my chips returned to my locker, I believe I'm done here." She glanced back at Dean, "Since I took all your money, Dean, let me buy you a drink..."

"It's be an honor, ma'am." Dean's hand came to rest lightly on Destiny's waist as he guided her from the poker room to the lounge. His sexual interest was certainly raising its head, quite literally if one were to closely examine his tight fitting jeans.

His companion led him to a corner table and motioned to the bartender. A waitress was there immediately. Brown eyes met Dean's green ones. "I'm gonna take you as a beer drinker, Dean."

"Usually, but I'll take whiskey if you don't mind."

"All right," she smiled at him. "Whiskey for the gentleman, and I'll have a white wine."

Three shots of whiskey later, on top of what he'd drunk during the session of poker and Dean wasn 't hesitant in the least, continuing to read the signals Destiny was emitting with startling accuracy, and his hand slid up to her nape, drawing her closer until his mouth covered hers in a deep probing kiss.

Her mouth accepted his tongue greedily, as she moaned in pleasurable response. Her body arched, the fit of her tightly fitting blouse and exposed cleavage most enticing, and Dean's erection responded in kind, to a point of near desperate pain. As he drew back from their kiss he rasped, "Let's get the hell out of here,"

He let her go, standing and pulling her up from her seat," What floor are you on?"

"Penthouse suites." Destiny retook the initiative as she led Dean by the hand out of the lounge and back down a rear corridor that led to elevators that went straight to the penthouse level.

As soon as the elevator doors closed behind them, Destiny fisted her hand into the fabric of Dean's shirt and pulled him toward her. There was only the briefest hesitation as he touched her face, searching her eyes, seeing the wanton need, and then his tongue once again tangled franticly with hers as he sought to satisfy whatever this sudden raging need between them was.

His arms enveloped her lush body against his own as he turned the two of them together, pressing her body back against the elevator wall, his hand cupping her breast and she arched into him, and he felt like he would burst if he didn't have her right this minute. It had been months, although it felt like years and Dean knew it wouldn't take him but a mere few thrusts and given the level of Destiny's mutual impatience and hungry arousal she would likely tumble quickly into orgasm as well.

Consequences be damned, he reached out his left hand and punched the elevator's STOP button. He pushed up Destiny's skirt until it was bunched up around her hips and unzipped his fly, freeing his swollen erection, first raising one of Destiny's legs up toward his waist. Holding her thigh up as he used his other hand to push the fabric of her panties to the side, he impaled her with one quick thrust.

She cried out, "Oh, Jesus, Dean!" at the abrupt penetration, her head falling back against the wall as she clung to his shoulders. He practically chanted as he took her forcefully, "That's it, darlin' take me. Take me deep... yeah... take me deeper" he demanded as he thrust hard and fast into her tight heat.

And Destiny responded, with moans, whimpers, and mewling cries, "Yes, yes, yes!"

Her back arched as the powerful orgasm swept through her body and she clenched around him, and it took only a few more thrusts before he spilled deep, his mouth claiming hers again as they fell from the peak together.

He withdrew, letting go of Destiny's thigh, and tucked himself away carefully, but quickly and hit the STOP button again. As the two of them struggled to recover themselves the elevator resumed its upward journey...

* * *

><p>It was nearing dusk outside and inside the master bedroom of Destiny's posh penthouse suite; Dean glanced back at the bed at his sleeping lover, once again studying her lush curves. He wouldn't mind in the slightest staying for another round, another dip into that pool of sensual delights, but he supposed he ought to get back to Ellen's place and deal with the current situation.<p>

Still, he wouldn't mind another visit here, she was just the ticket. Just the kind of woman he liked-strictly for pleasure, no strings, at least not that he could see at this point. No games, no hidden agendas, sex for the sake of sex, they'd felt an attraction and acted on it.

He leaned back down and kissed her forehead, and Destiny's eyes fluttered open. Noting his state of dress,"Leaving already, Dean?"

'Yeah, my brother and his new wife just moved back here to Nebraska. I expect I'll see you around sometime."

She fisted her fingers into the fabric of his button-front shirt, "You can count on that one, lover."

Destiny pulled him closer, until their mouths joined again. Their tongues tangled erotically, and after a minute or so Dean pulled back before she successfully drew him back into her bed. "Later, sweetheart I'll see myself out." He picked up the keys to Bobby's truck from the night stand, a few moments later Dean smiled back at her from the door and closed it behind him.

With a sated sigh, her head fell back, her dark brown hair fanned out onto the pillows; it had been a most pleasurable afternoon. As she stared at the door Dean had just closed behind him her eyes slid from brown to black. It appeared that there was more than one delightful Winchester in the sea and revenge was delicious

Ruby smiled wickedly- If you couldn't be with the Winchester you loved, then love the Winchester you're with.


	22. Chapter 22

Roadhouse Reunion take 2

It was close to midnight when Dean walked back into the Roadhouse

_The first thing he'd done when he left Destiny was grab a strong cup of black coffee. He wanted to make sure he was sober before he drove back since he had no ID, fake or real on him. If they still existed they should be in the Impala—which his brother had, along with other things that Dean felt were his._

He'd gotten back more than an hour ago and had just sat there in the parking watching the people come and go. He could also see the upstairs windows, the shadows on the didn't take long to know which room was Sam and Jo's. Only his brother could cast that large shadow. Good. This way he could take everyone in stages.

* * *

><p>It had been a very long day for everyone. Bobby and Ellen were at the far end of the bar on the opposite sides of the counter. Bobby spotted him first, giving a nod to Ellen in Dean's direction. "The prodigal son's returned."<p>

Ellen wasted little time coming around the bar to greet the resurrected hunter, dragging Dean into a fierce hug which he did not hesitate to return. Tears were in Ellen's eyes when she pulled back from him. "You ever pull a stunt like this again and I'll kill you myself."

Dean flashed her a genuine Winchester grin, "It's good to see you again too, Ellen."

She cupped his cheek with her hand. "Let me buy you a beer."

Bobby came forward, "You feelin' any better now, boy?"

"Yeah," Dean looked slightly flushed, not wanting to discuss his rapid departure earlier in the day. "It's just a lot of information to process.I needed to get my head around it so I went down to that really nice casino for a few drinks and Texas Hold ' about the cash, Bobby, I kinda lost it all. But it was worth it," he said, waggling his brows.

Bobby put up his hands, "Whoa boy, skip the details, as long yer alright and my truck's back in one piece, that's all the information I need to know."

Ellen posed a hunting question. "Any sign of demon activity while you were there?"

"No, nothing that set off any bells or whistles. Why?"

"Well." Ellen answered, "Sam and Jo went to the Casino for their honeymoon and Jo ran into an old friend who was possessed and she ended up in the hospital overnight. "

Then Bobby put in his two cents. "Yeah it was real strange behavior for a demon. He just kinda messed with Sam but gave Jo a good toss into the wall. She had a mild concussion."

The first thought in Dean's head following Bobby's comment was that Sammy was probably gonna get Jo killed because she would now be leverage against them. The second thought was like it or not, Jo was now a Winchester and so was her unborn child.

Then he caught Bobby's second comment. "For reasons none of us have figured out yet demons don't seem to be able hurt Sam."

"Yeah, I was kinda surprised to see him intact." Dean agreed."Especially since none of his phone numbers were working. When I escaped that pine box, I could only pray that Sam was still alive. After Lilith set her hounds loose on me, I saw Lilith shoot a bright light toward Sam. There's no way that the force of it wasn't a killing blow and that's pretty much the last thing I remember."

"So was I—surprised that is." Sam's voice came from behind Dean. He turned to face his younger brother, as Sam continued. "Afterwards, Lilith was pretty shaken. She left you bleeding out on the floor, ditching Ruby's vessel and taking her invisible hounds with her."

Even with Dean standing in front of him safe and whole, pain filled Sam's chest and he visibly shuddered at the still vivid memory."By the time I made it to your side you were gone. I can't even remember how long I just sat there, holding your lifeless body, begging you to come back."

As always Dean's need to take care of his brother overshadowed everything else. He remembered how he'd felt when Jake had killed Sammy for Azazel. He never once gave a thought to the grief his death would cause everyone when his contract came due. That Sammy would feel that same pain as strongly as he did.

Sometimes those chick flick moments were unavoidable and Dean for once didn't give a damn who saw him as he came over to Sam and hugged him."Hey, c'mon Sammy, I'm back—I don't know how, who, or why, but I don't plan on leaving any of you again anytime soon."

"Good." It was the voice he'd never thought to hear again—Jo."Cause you can't run from me forever, buster. It's my turn to give you a piece of my mind."

Inwardly Dean smiled, she never let him get by with anything—so married or not—why would she start now?He stepped back from his brother to face his brother's wife. He spread his hands wide, "Let me have it."

"Oh I will."He wasn't quite expecting Jo to slap him, right there in front of everyone.

He rubbed his jaw. "Oww! What was that for?"

"Where do I start Dean? There's list a mile long I suppose. For being a self-absorbed, self-righteous opinionated ASS—For selling you soul—I'll leave it at that for now. Do you have any idea how much we all missed you? Now, will you give me a hug, already?"

She embraced Dean the same way she always embraced life. His arms closed around her and he inhaled the scent of her, hugging her back, but very aware of everyone around them. After a few moments he pulled back. After all the rights to hold her, kiss her, and do anything else belonged to someone else now. He set her back a couple of feet."Are we good now?"

She met his gaze with a deep look, '"We have some things to talk about, but not right here or right now. It's time to celebrate. And not just you coming back." She patted Dean's cheek with genuine feeling and then glanced at her husband. "Sammy, honey, you want to tell them our news?"

Sam's smile went wide, an expression of pure joy in his eyes. "Jo had an ultrasound this morning that I ended up having to miss." He looked pointedly at Bobby, as he pulled his wife to his side, hugging her close to him.

Bobby shrugged, "Sorry Sam."

"And..?" Dean asked, knowing that if left to Sam it was going to take all evening to make a 30 seconds or less journey.

"This time the tech was able to tell us the sex of the baby."

"C'mon, dude," Dean insisted, "Spit it out."

Sam's face was beaming as he made their announcement. "Baby Winchester is a boy."

Bobby clapped his hand on Sam's shoulder. "Well done, son."

"Thanks, Bobby." Sam replied.

Jo wasn't going take the blatant chauvinism lying down and started to open her mouth, but Dean got in the first word. "Why are you congratulating Sammy? I believe Jo's doing all the work."

Jo smiled at her brother-in-law, "Thank you, Dean. Guess your time away made you less chauvinistic."

"It's made me a lot of things." Dean replied, and he wasn't about to go into what those things were right here and now.

Ellen was the next to speak. "Okay everybody one round, something non alcoholic for Jo and then she need to get her rest." Her gaze fell on her son-in-law. "And as long he takes care of his family Sam can be as proud as he wants to be."

Dean noted that the acceptance that Ellen seemed to be giving to Sam was completely different from any acceptance he'd ever been given, but he guessed that was only fair since he'd never made an outright attempt at a relationship with Jo.

* * *

><p>It was 2am and Bobby, Ellen and Jo had gone to bed after that one round of bar was closed and only Dean and Sam remained, most of the lights dimmed and, a six-pack's worth of long-necks empty on the table between them—well on their way to being thoroughly intoxicated.<br>Almost like old times.

They'd discussed anything and everything but the one thing that stood like an elephant in the room and Dean knew he needed some answers so he could come to terms with his brother's new life. He got up and went to the cooler pulling out two more bottles, dropping one in front of his Sam before retaking his seat. Dean prompted his brother."So, Sammy… you and Jo?"

"Yeah," Sam glanced down nervously at the bottle in his hand for moment before looking back up to meet his brother's gaze with unguarded resolve. He had zero intentions to apologize for his current happiness. Jo was his wife now and Sam had no intention of ever giving her up. It wasn't Sam's fault that his brother had not made his move when he had the chance. "I had no idea this was the direction it was going to take when I went to see her."

"Why did you go see her anyway?"

"Between trying reopen the devil's gate to find you and summoning a good number of crossroad demons to trade places with you, I was forced to give up. All of them told me in no uncertain terms that you were exactly where Hell wanted you and that was where you were gonna was all business, just wanting to burn your bones and take on demons.

"I needed someone who would understand how very lost I was without you. And believe me when I say she was as devastated as I were trying to help each other, the grief was stark and the emptiness was overwhelming.

"The sex was completely unplanned. We were both drunk and it just happened, and for awhile we were able to forget—no that's not the correct term for what it was. At first, it gave us a reason to go on. It was never an intention to forget you. Not at all, we were just trying to learn how to exist without you. For my part, I know I thought about you every single day, but I thought you'd want me to move on, to move forward so that your sacrifice wasn't for nothing.

"After that first week I left, went to Sioux Falls, hanging out with Bobby, Jo and I called and texted a lot by phone. Chatting online. The connection grew stronger. About a month later Bobby, Rufus and I took out that vampire nest in Clear Lake. Jo was just a few hours away and the need to be with her was so strong I could barely wait to get to her.

"She'd missed me too and I'd missed her so much that I kinda just stayed, I went on hunts but Duluth was where I was calling home. It got to the point where we almost couldn't exist without each other and that was about the same time we found she was pregnant. She had gotten pregnant the very first week.

"When she told me about the baby, the first words I said were 'will you marry me?'."

Dean shook his head at that, "Seriously lame move, Sammy, didn't I teach you anything about women? Nothing like making her feel like you're proposing out of duty."

"And how many serious relationships have you had, Dean?" Sam said with raised brows.

"Anyway, she didn't outright refuse me; instead she said we needed to slow down. However, there was never a moment's doubt from either of us about having the baby.

"This pregnancy is like this symbol of hope, that life does go on and there is something good in life for us to cling to. I never thought much about having a kid, not that I didn't want them, just never thought I'd have the , I'm gonna have a son and I can't imagine wanting anything more than him and a life with Jo—you notwithstanding of course."

"Well, you're married now, so you obviously changed Jo's mind."

"As much as I hate to say it the thanks for that goes to Ruby."

Dean nearly choked on a mouth full of beer."WHAT?! I thought she was dead."

"Not quite. According to Ruby Lilith kinda banished her to some corner of Hell for a while."

"And how frequently do you see Ruby?"

"I only saw her a few times. And if she knows what's good for her she'll keep her distance If she'd stayed ten more seconds the last time, I woulda killed her on the spot."

"Wow, for a change you're not defending her. What did the bitch do?"

"She nearly cost me Jo. We were still back in Duluth and she set me up outside the tavern where Jo was working. She knew Jo was watching for me to get back. She caught me outside and with her demon hearing knew Jo was going to be looking. She grabbed me and kissed me and Jo thought I was cheating on her.

"If not for Jo's friend Scott who witnessed the whole thing I don't know where we'd be right heard every word and it shook Jo up to think of us not being together and when we made up I proposed again, I'd been planning it anyway and already had a ring. She said yes. We got married right here in this room just a few weeks ago."

Dean could think of nothing to say right now. Taking care of Sam was as automatic as all the years he'd watched over Sammy, he could honestly say he'd never seen his little brother so happy—not those few days with Madison, not even with Jess—and the way both of those relationships ended had left Sam in shattered pieces.

For the moment, despite the pieces his own life was in, Dean was not about to risk shattering his brother's happiness again to put himself back were still demons to be fought and then there was also the matter of trying to find out how and why he even had a life to piece back together in the first place.

He let his now empty beer bottle drop to the table, "Well, Sammy, I'm beat. You know your way around this place better than I you show me to a bed?"

"Yeah, c'mon upstairs, Ellen has a few rooms she rents out especially for hunters, meaning free if necessary. I think you qualify." Sam teased his brother."There's an empty one across the hall from Bobby."

The brothers rose and after Sam made a final check of all the doors, they both headed upstairs.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: So very sorry for the long delay... as much as I love this story reality intruded and my time for writing has been almost non existent. I am providing guardianship care for two of my granddaughters one is four and the other is 3 months old. Now that the infant sleeps through the night we are getting organized and my time is settling into a routine. I cannot promise the pace that I was producing before but I will trying to get things up faster. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22<strong>

** Summoning Answers**

**_An Empty barn on a an abandoned farmstead in the miiddle of nowhere USA_**

Dean andd Bobby had spent the better part of the last two days warding the barn against everything they could think of with all manner of signs from every religious faith they could think of-devil's traps drawn and ready.

It had been four days since the seance that had left a lovely psychic named Pamela Barnes blind and in ICU. Dean and Bobby had come here without Sam's knowledge. Dean's brother had gone back to Nebraska to be with his pregnant wife as soon as they knew Pamela would survive.

Pretty much the entire arsenal of the hunting siblings lay on the long folding table, along with all the necessary ingredients for a summoning ritual. Included in the weapons of course was Sam's demon blade, plus a few things Bobby had brought along that filled the gaps in the Winchester supernatural weaponry quite nicely.

Dean looked around at the sigil covered walls, then scanned the weapons before looking back at his subsitute father. "Well, let's do this thing."

Bobby performed the ritual with careful precision as he recited the appropriate incantation.

For a short time nothing happened, Dean was a beginning to think they had failed, but then there was thunder and instantaneous lightning and the entire building began to shake and rattle.

Dean glanced at Bobby, just a touch of fear in his voice. "I know it's probably wishful thinking, but maybe it's just the wind."

In answer to the comment, one by one all the lights above them shattered.

The double doors of the only entrance swung inward. Their summoned being in the form of a male human in suit and trench coat strolled in almost casually (like being summoned was a common occurrence.) It moved forward completely unaffected by the hail of bullets that Dean and Bobby were firing in rapid succession.

When 'HE' reached the two hunters completely unscathed, Dean demanded, "Who are you?" while reaching behind himself for the demon blade.

Intense blue eyes met Dean's green ones and 'HE' spoke earnestly. "I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition."

"Thanks for that," Dean said with a sneer as he drew back and plunged the demon blade deep into the chest of the being in front of him. A being who simply stared at Dean patiently for a couple of seconds before casually pulling the blade from his chest and letting it drop to the ground.

Dean took a couple of steps back, stunned being an understatement as he then glanced Bobby's direction. The older hunter was drawing back to swing on their guest with a tire iron.

With the same expression of bored tolerance 'HE' caught the iron mid-swing before turning to drop Bobby to the ground with a simple touch of two fingers to the man's forehead.

His gaze returned from Bobby on the floor to Dean's panicked expression. "We need to talk Dean. Alone."

Dean's response was to kneel down to evaluate Bobby's condition.

"Your friend is alive."

Dean didn't respond until he saw the rise and fall of Bobby's chest and was reassured that Bobby was just unconscious. He raised his gaze. "Who are you?"

"Castiel."

Impatient as always, Dean got straight to the point. "I figured that much. What are you?"

"I am an angel of the Lord."

"Get the Hell out of here!" Dean snorted. "There's no such thing."

"That's your problem,Dean you have no faith."

There was another flash of lightning/thunder and it cast a black silhouette of wings the width of the barn behind Castiel.

Still disbelieving Dean persisted, "Some angel you are. You burned out Pamela's eyes."

"I warned her not to spy on my true form." He shook his head regretfully. "It can be overwhelming to humans as can my real voice. But I think you already know that."

"The shattering glass and the piercing noise-they were you talking?"

"I mistakenly assumed you were one of the few humans that would be able see and hear my true form."

Dean was done with discussion and got straight to the point of the summoning in the first place. "Why would you rescue me?"

To say he was unprepared for the coming answer would be a definite understatement.

"Because God commanded it-we have work for you."

Dean Winchester at a complete loss for words was sight many would have paid to see.

* * *

><p><strong>NEBRASKA<strong>

It would be the second night in their new apartment. Since it was a small semi- furnished two-bedroom apartment, it hadn't taken much to move in. Sam had already taken care of warding the apartment against demons, he would see to other protective measures against the supernatural and the rest of the building later.

It was 10:00 pm, give or take a few minutes when Jo unlocked the front door. Sam was behind her, his hands full. Jo was certainly tired, overstuffed from the meal at the roadhouses. Sam carried the box to the kitchen, putting all the plastic storage containers with leftovers into the Fridge, Ellen knowing full well Jo would probably be up around 2 am eating again had insisted.

Sam was amazed at how much food she consumed now. She worried constantly about getting fat, but she was always hungry and she wanted to make sure the baby got plenty of nutrition. Sam didn't see her weight gain as a problem she was stunning. Her breasts were fuller and her hips as well but the primary difference was the steady swelling of her abdomen, although her waistline was still evident. And you still wouldn't know she was pregnant if you werent looking for it.

Sam was just closing the refrigerator when he heard her gasp. "Omigod!"

It took him maybe two seconds to reach their bedroom where Jo was preparing for bed. He found her sitting on the bed with her hand was on her belly and she looked shaken when she met his gaze as he came through the bedroom door.

"Baby, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Jo could sense Sam's sudden distress. "Yeah, I'm fine. It just caught me off guard. Give me your hand."

She turned his hand palm downward on her lower belly. She spoke her next words to her son. "C'mon, little one. Do it again. Do it for Daddy."

As if on cue there was a faint thump against Sam's hand. He stared at her belly for several moments before raising his gaze to Jo's. His eyes were full of wonder and excitement. "That was the baby?"

"Yeah, I'd felt some fluttery type movement like butterflies for the last few days, but this was the first solid kick that was unmistakable." Her joy was as great as Sam's as the words came out in a rush, her eyes glistening with happy tears. "He's big enough for us to feel him kicking."

Sam reached up with one hand to swipe away her tears, as his own eyes watered. His other hand remained on her belly, hoping to feel his son move again inside his mother. After a minute or so he pulled his hand away, disappointed that no more kicks had been forthcoming.

Jo who had leaned her head against his shoulder as he held her laughed softly at his disappointment, teasing him gently. "Don't worry Daddy, there will be plenty more kicking and I'll bet you that I won't be as excited by his kicking by the end of the pregnancy."

Sam tilted her chin so he could see her eyes. "Joanna Beth Harvelle-Winchester. You know as well as I do that you will delight in every move he makes until he gets here, just as I will enjoy watching your beautiful body changing before me."

Jo responded with a caress to his cheek. "Have I told you today how much I love you?"

He grinned down at her. "Yeah, but I don't mind hearing it again."

"Good," she replied, suddenly not as tired as she thought. Her hand moved toward the zipper on his jeans.

His hand stopped hers as he stood. He shed his everything but his underwear. He appreciated her willingness, but he also knew how long her day had been, and his child needed a well rested mother.

As he'd undressed she'd moved to the center of the bed. He joined her laying down on his side facing her. His fingers skimmed along the swell of her from her pelvis to just below her bustline. His lazy fingertips grazed across softly across her skin.

He brought his gaze back to hers, "I love both of you so much."

"I know," she signed, her own fingers tracing along his face, as the tiredness resurfaced. She turned enough to snuggle her body against his and in moments they both were asleep.


	24. Chapter 24

_Late afternoon..._

**_Harvelle's Roadhouse_ **

Jo closed the flip phone, turning to Look at her mother. "That was Dean. He's at Bobby's. Sam hasn't gotten there yet and there's been an outbreak of hunter deaths, they suspect them all to be ghost-related. Salt every possible entrance, he said he'd have Sam call us when he gets there and that he'd call us back and explain the details later-. But he was crystal clear that we do exactly what he says. And that we do it now. "

Ellen glanced around at her specialized customer base. knowing there were no 'civilians' present.

"Okay boys. Got a call from a Winchester about a ghost threat to hunters. Several hunters are already dead. For the moment we should assume that no one is safe. So if you don't mind I'd appreciate it if you'd help us ''salt up". Each closet in every room upstairs has a five gallon bucket of salt. There's plenty more in the pantry through the kitchen doors. Free round on the house when the job is done."

The exterior lights of were shut off and the establishment was closed for regular business. The doors of the Roadhouse were locked and it was salted and secure from attic to basement within 20 minutes.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Singer Salvage.<em>**

It was nearing dusk and for the better part of the last two hours Bobby and Dean had scoured the shelves to research the possible causes of the recent hunter deaths. They'd never seen anything like it..

It had started when they couldn't reach a hunter who might have some information on angels. A topic on which Dean remained steadfastly skeptical about. They hadn't ever told Sammy about the possiblity of Castiel's angelhood.

When they'd found the female hunter dead the previous afternoon-her chest ripped wide open. Bobby then tried two other local hunters. Upon no reply from phone messages, by sunset they had investigated their homes-which just like the female hunter's-, had been supernaturally redecorated in blood red.

Dean had called Ellen and Jo to warn them just in case the pattern had spread wider than the South Dakota/Iowa area. And it went unsaid between him and Bobby their new fear for Sam alone on the road. The resurrected hunter wished now that he'd not summoned his brother to join them. because if something happened to his brother's wife and unborn child while Sam was away it would be much more than just the younger Winchester burdened with guilt...

Dean plopped a stack of research books on the desk in Bobby's "study", alongside the stack of books that had the disgruntled younger hunter none to pleased that Castiel's claim of angelhood was most likely fact as they'd found that no other beings were thought capable of yanking someone from the pits of Hell.

He glanced back at Bobby "I'd check through these but unlike you I am NOT multi-lingual. You know that my Latin sucks which is why Sam does most of the incantations. So here ya go. I'm going to make better use of my time other than sitting here waiting on you to figure it out. I have a couple of guns that need cleaning out in the impala, be back in a couple of minutes." The screen door slammed behind him as he headed outside.

"Lazy idjit." Bobby muttered to himself. He sat down at the desk and grabbed the first book on the stack and began to thumb through the pages...

Outside Dean leaned into the Impala's trunk, lifting the top layer of weapons, grabbing two guns that needed cleaning from below. The cold chill swept past him, his breath coming out in white puffs. On sheer instinct he grabbed a handful of salt rounds and headed back to the house...

There was a loud thud from the upstairs that Bobby knew for a fact was unoccupied. He got up grabbing a tire iron from the desk. He moved toward the stairway. The cold chill swept the room as he glanced upward to see a rubber ball topple down the stairs.

He continued to stare upward until the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. His breath out was white as he heard the giggling behind him.

Dean burst through the door only to stop in his own tracks at the ghost in front of him. She smiled at him. "Hello Dean..."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Gas-n-Go off the Interstate 29 near Vermillion SD.<strong>_

With a cursory glance to the west at the last glow of the setting sun Sam (aka George Harrison, according his current credit card) hung the nozzle back up on the gas pump, slipping around the side of the gas station to use the facilities. He was driving Bobby's less than reliable pick up truck since Dean and Bobby had headed off in the Impala a few days earlier after the incident with Pamela Barnes.

He was well beyond curious about the urgent demand by his brother to get his Sasquatch ass to Bobby's ASAP. Had to be something serious/or embarrassing for Dean to be so secretive about it.

He was washing his hands when the cold chill swept the men's restroom, his eyes raising to see frosted glass on the mirrror. He turned to find himself face to face with FBI Special Agent Victor Hendrickson. _Deceased. _

Sam took deep gulping breaths.

Hendrickson spoke. "Hello Sam."

"Hendrickson..."

The ghost smirked, "I'd love to say it's good to see you again but you and I know that would be a lie. You and Dean left us all there to die. Lilith killed all of us and she did it slowly."

"We had no idea..."

"Of course you did, that's why I'm here. You boys play with fire and we got caught in the middle with no way out. It's time for you to pay the price. "

Hendrickson extended his hand having backed Sam up against the wash basin. Sam's hand was behind him reaching for the gun at the small of his back. Hoping to get the gun free before the dead agent's hand closed around his throat, he was stunned by the shower of salt and Hendrickson's image disintegrated.

"C'mon Sam, before he comes back." Her hand closing around his wrist, dragging him back out of the men's room.

He was sitting in the drivers seat of the pick up before he recovered his speech. He looked over at the woman sitting beside him. "Ruby?"

"You can thank me for saving your ass later. How about you start this piece of crap truck and get us the hell out of here."


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER 25**

**Ghosts**

The battered pickup flew down the interstate. Sam had at least recovered the power of speech and enough thought process to glance at Ruby again. "What the hell was that?"

Ruby went straight to the point. "Lilith, she broke a seal."

"What's a seal?" Sam's gaze flickered from the road ahead to meet Ruby's gaze for just a moment.

"There are hundreds of seals... Every time a seal is broken it brings her that much closer to freeing Lucifer from his cage."

Sam couldn't see a connection between the two things, so he asked the obvious. "So Lilith broke this seal and now Henderson's ghost is gunning for me?"

"Not just Henderson's ghost, and you aren't the only one they're coming for."

Instant panic filled Sam at the exact moment he comprehended what she was saying. "Dean and Bobby?"

"For starters—the seal defines you, and them as Witnesses..."

"Witnesses? To what?" Sam asked.

"A hunter's failure to save them from whatever supernatural crisis they were victims to."

"And we failed to save Henderson from Lilith."

Ruby smirked, "And he grabs the brass ring..." as always proud of how quick her Sammy grasped these kinds of situations, "and the body count of hunters dead because of these witnesses is mounting pretty quick."

It wouldn't take a genius to know that this is why he'd been summoned. Sam pushed the accelerator to the floor. At his new speed he could reach Singer Salvage in half an hour—as long as the pickup didn't break down.

* * *

><p>After firing salt rounds into the ghost in front of him and then into the pair of young female ghosts confronting Bobby, Dean was on Bobby's heels as they descended the stairs to the panic room he hadn't known about until yesterday. As salt coated iron doors slammed shut behind them, Dean expressed what was on both their minds.<p>

"What the freakin' hell is going on?"

Bobby glared at Dean. "Do I look like I know more'n you do?"

Dean reached for his back pocket, finding it empty. "Damn. I left my phone in my jacket upstairs."

"That's why I got one down here. A land line." Bobby pointed to an old style rotary phone on the small desk. "Ya wouldn't have a digital signal in here anyway."

"It's not gonna be any help... I have Sam's phone number—and Jo's for that matter—on speed dial on my cell phone. Don't know either one of them off the top of my head."

"Damn idjit," Bobby shook his head. "that's why I write everything down. Pen and paper instead them damn new-fangled laptops and computers. Yeah they are helpful for research, but the important stuff son... write it the hell down."

Bobby pulled his wallet from his back pocket and withdrew a piece of paper with a list of phone numbers on it, and handed it to Dean. "See if you can reach your brother."

Dean stared at the list of numbers. "Damn Bobby, have we really had this many phone numbers?"

"As often as you boys change phones there's days I wished I owned stock in one of those cellular service providers. That's just the active numbers in the last two years. Jo and Ellen's numbers are on the back, in case you want to check in with them."

It was as if fate was taunting them, as the sound of Dean's cell phone ringing drifted to the basement. The melody of the ring-tone was annoying.

Bobby glanced at Dean, "Sam?"

"Yeah" Dean released a relieved sigh, For the moment at least his brother was still alive.

* * *

><p>Sam was frustrated, finally out of the bad service area, He'd had several missed calls, mostly from his brother and two from his wife. He had a signal at last only to find that his brother's phone simply rang again and again. He tried the number two more times. Each time it ended at voice mail. Dread filled him.<p>

He glanced down at his phone, this time pressing the button for his wife. Two rings and her voice was on the other end. "Sam?"

He cast a look at Ruby that demanded her silence, before answering Jo. "Yeah, you guys okay?"

"So far. So you talked to Dean?"

"Not yet, his phone keeps going ringing and then goes to voice mail. Sorry I didn't answer your calls, I was in that dead service area."

"I was getting so worried. Something is killing hunters..."

"Somebody has been resurrecting ghosts..."

"How do you know..."

"One came after me in the bathroom of a gas station."

"Oh my god, are you okay?"

"I'm just fine."

"Why you Sammy?"

"Baby, I'm a hunter... and a Winchester...if things are coming after hunters then I suppose Dean and I would top the list."

"Be careful Sam."

"I will baby, I have far too much to live for. I promise I'm not going anywhere but home to you."

"Sam... I love you."

"Love you too. Could you try and reach Bobby? I'm kinda speeding here and need to pay attention. Tell him I should be there in about 20 minutes. "

As he closed the flip phone, Ruby murmured just loud enough to be heard. "Excuse me while I puke."

Sam didn't acknowledge her disdainful remark, instead gluing his eyes to the dark road ahead of him.

He didn't expect the ringing of his phone. And when he flipped it open to answer it the number was unfamiliar.

"Hello?"

"Sammy?"

"Dean...where the hell are you? Your phone just rings and rings."

"My phone is inaccessible at the moment. You okay?"

"For the moment yes. Was in a bit of a jam at that Gas-n-Go just outside Vermillion. I'm about fifteen minutes from Bobby's. Again I ask...where the hell are you?"

"On a land-line in the panic room in Bobby's basement."

The admiration in Sam's voice was unmistakable. "Bobby has an honest to God panic room?"

"That's what I just said."

"That's seriously awesome." Sam exclaimed unaware that he was on speaker phone until Bobby spoke.

"Okay enough about the awesomeness of my panic room. If it wasn't awesome it wouldn't be much good would it?"

Seriousness overtook Sam again. "Sorry Bobby. I assume since you guys are stowed away in your basement you've got some issues of a ghostly nature too."

"You might say that."

"Do you know your ghosts?"

"Sort of..." Dean said. "One of the ghosts is Meg's original vessel. "

"I don't remember these little girls though... never saw them before, not in person anyways." Bobby interjected, "They look like the little girls in some photos from from at least 20 years or so ago, they went missing and were never found."

Sam threw in his tormentor. "I just got a blast from our recent past."

"Who?" Bobby asked.

"FBI special agent Hendrickson."

"No way!" Dean exclaimed.

"Yes, way." Sam declared. "and in no uncertain terms the dude's not happy. Apparently Lilith took great pains to torture everyone we left behind in that police station. He said she tortured that secretary for 45 minutes."

"Son of a bitch." Dean allowed a moment of regret before returning to his own predicament. She'd been such a sweet young woman.

"How did you get away son?" Bobby asked.

"I had some unexpected help."

"From who?"

"I don't think you want to know."

It was all Sam had to say for Dean to know the answer. "It's Ruby isn't it?"

"Yeah, she saved my ass-again-and she knows what is going on."

"Does she know how to stop it... whatever it is?"

Sam cast a glance toward Ruby who gave a negative nod.

"No, but she knows who's behind it. It's Lilith's doing...she broke a seal. The ghosts are witnesses."

"Seals? Witnesses? What the hell are you talking about Sammy?" Dean was practically shouting over the phone.

"Hang on," Bobby interrupted. "Dean, this has a familiar ring to it. Sam-we'll call you back in five minutes. I think I have the book with some answers in it down here."

The five minutes were almost up when Bobby shouted triumphantly, "Here it is."

'What have you got Bobby?"

"Breaking of seals, and the rising of the witnesses. It's a sign, Dean."

"A sign of what?"

"The end times, the bloody apocalypse. "

"Is there anything we can do stop the killings?"

"Maybe, there's a ritual, if we can gather all the necessary ingredients."

"What do we need?"

Bobby scanned the list of what they would need. "Well damn. Couldn't expect this to be easy now could we? Why can't we ever get lucky?"

"What?' Missing ingredients?"

"No but what we need is on the other side of that door."

They both stared at the iron door in ominous silence. They had no choice but wait for Sam's arrival.


End file.
